Arizona
High-profile Arizona criminal cases database
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Aaron Saucedo
Man accused of killing 9 people during serial street shootings
- Aaron Saucedo, 28, was arrested in April 2017 in connection with serial street shootings that began in August 2015 and ended in July 2016. His next hearing is scheduled for July 15, 2024.
Alex Anthony Madrid
Mesa man charged with rape, murder of teen girl found in a dumpster in 2013
- Alex Anthony Madrid is facing first degree murder, kidnapping, sex conduct with a minor, molestation of a child, child abuse, sexual abuse, abandonment/concealment of a body and tampering with physical evidence. His trial is set for August 5, 2024.
Angel Mullooly
Three people, including one with Neo-Nazi ties, charged in beating death of Jake Kelly
- 34-year-old Angel Mullooly is facing murder charges. Cory Young, 44, and Shannon Young, 37, are accused of hindering prosecution.
Anthony Milan Ross
Vegan chef, motivational speaker accused of killing ex-wife and 2 children on Christmas Day 2017
April McLaughlin
Woman accused of keeping dozens of dogs in horrifying conditions at a home in Chandler
- April McLaughlin pleaded not guilty to the charges in January, 2024. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for June 27, 2024.
Blaze Thibaudeau
Leader of doomsday family back in Arizona to face charges in Gilbert teen’s disappearance
- Blaze Thibaudeau was reportedly taken by his uncle, Brook Hale, his non-custodial mother, Spring Thibaudeau. Hale, 47, is charged with one count of custodial interference and one count of conspiracy to commit custodial interference. Spring Thibaudeau is still awaiting extradition back to Arizona.
Christopher Rand Hoopes
Man allegedly shoots, kills wife at Tempe home after claiming she ‘startled’ him
- 36-year-old Christopher Rand Hoopes will be in court July 15, 2024. His trial is scheduled for July 22, 2024.
Cleophus Cooksey
Phoenix man charged in serial killing spree that left 9 dead in 3 weeks
- Cleophus Cooksey is accused of killing nine people, including his mother and stepfather, in the Phoenix area in 2017.
David Schnirch
Scottsdale luxury car dealer arrested on multiple counts of sexual exploitation, luring girls under 15
- David Schnirch was arrested in the Summer of 2021 on child sex crime charges. His next hearing is scheduled for July 19, 2024.
DaVonte’ Neal
Former U of A football player charged with murder
- DaVonte’ Neal is charged with first-degree murder, drive-by-shooting, and discharging a firearm at a structure in the 2017 death of Bryan T. Burns. Neal is expected back in court July 22, 2024.
Essa Williams
Phoenix man accused of shooting officer 8 times in 2021
- Essa Williams is facing attempted murder charges, accused of gunning down Phoenix police officer Tyler Moldovan in 2021.
Germayne Cunningham
Former Phoenix PD detective and wife accused of killing 7-year-old daughter
- Pre-trial conference starts August 23, 2024. Trial is scheduled for September 3, 2024.
Ian Mitcham
Man arrested in gruesome murder 2015 of Scottdale woman after DNA evidence was found years later
- Ian Mitcham was arrested for the murder of Allison Feldman, who was sexually assaulted, strangled, and beaten to death at her Scottsdale home in February 2015. Mitcham will be back in court September 26, 2024.
Isaac King
Avondale man accused of shooting, killing DPS Trooper on Interstate 10
- Isaac Damon King plead not guilty in the 2018 shooting death of DPS Trooper Tyler Edenhofer.
James Estep
Mesa man accused of sexually assaulting 5 women, teen girl
- James Estep is being held without bond. His next hearing is scheduled for July 2, 2024.
Jonathon Altland
Man accused of killing Chandler police officer, injuring Gilbert officer after leading them on a car chase
Joshua Ben Anderson
Former White Mountain Apache police officers indicted after hitting and killing woman with squad car
- Joshua Ben Anderson pled guilty to attempting a cover up after a hit and run in his squad car. His sentencing is August 5, 2024.
Larry Edward Brown Jr
IRS agent indicted in deadly shooting of fellow agent following Phoenix training exercise
- On August 17, 2023, Special Agent Patrick Bauer was shot during training at a federal gun range located on prison grounds in north Phoenix.
Lori Vallow
Former valley mom convicted in Idaho of killing her kids, now facing charges in Maricopa County
- Lori Vallow’s next pre-trial conference is set for July 25, 2024.
Octavia Rogers
Phoenix mother accused of killing her 3 kids in 2016
- Octavia Rogers is facing 3 counts of first degree murder after her three young sons were found stabbed to death.
Raad Almansoori
Man accused in a violent multi-state crime spree, including two stabbings in the Valley and the death of a woman at a New York City hotel room
- Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell has refused to extradite him to New York until he stands trial for his alleged crimes in Arizona.
Rachel Henry
Phoenix mother accused of suffocating her 3 children to death
- Rachel Henry is set to appear in court in August 2024. She pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in February 2020.
Samuel Bateman
FLDS polygamist leader arraigned in court on child sex abuse charges
- Samuel Bateman faces 51 felonies. The FBI says he had 20 wives, many of them underage. Ten of his followers, including some of his adult wives, were also charged with aiding him. Sentencing is set for July 15, 2024.
Sophia Simmons
Mom arrested after young daughter found dead in dumpster behind Phoenix business
- 38-year-old Sophia Simmons is facing a murder charge after her young daughter was found dead in a dumpster behind a business in Phoenix on Christmas Eve 2023. Simmons’ trial is set for September 5, 2024.
Stephanie Davis & Thomas James Desharnais
Prosecutors to seek death penalty for murder of 11-year-old boy in Scottsdale hotel
Terrance Santistevan
Man accused of gunning down two teens in Casa Grande in 2022
- Terrance Santistevan is in Pinal County jail on charges of first-degree murder. His next court appearance is set for July 22, 2024.
Zion Teasley
Man accused of stabbing, killing Lauren Heike while hiking in North Scottsdale
- Zion Teasley’s next court hearing is set for September 22, 2024.
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Arizona
Arizona’s Rugged Wilderness Area Has Gorgeous Mountain Trails And Scenic Camping Spots – Islands
While those who haven’t spent a lot of time exploring Arizona may associate the Grand Canyon State with towering saguaro cacti and endless stretches of barren, moon-like landscapes, that description, though accurate, does not tell the complete story. Because located within the Tonto and Coconino National Forests is 252,500 acres of rugged wilderness that, in addition to cacti and desert, also includes pine forests, snow-dusted mountain peaks, and the Verde River, Arizona’s only designated Wild River Area.
Called the Mazatzal Wilderness Area, and spanning from the brush-covered Sonoran Desert to the tip of the 7,903-foot Mazatzal Peak and beyond, the area became a designated wilderness in 1940. It has since become known for its diverse, rugged scenery that includes steep ridges, narrow canyons, riparian habitats, and 240 miles of hiking trails, many of which are too craggy and steep for mountain bikes and horses. The trails are gorgeous, however, offering sweeping forest and mountain views as well as several scenic camping spots along creeks and ridgelines of wildflowers. Mazatzal, which gets its name from an Aztec word that means “land inhabited by deer,” is home to mule deer and whitetails as well as bald eagles, river otters, bears, and kit foxes, among other wildlife.
Mazatzal is unique in that it combines a rich network of diverse ecosystems into one expansive wilderness area, allowing you to swim in a cactus-lined river or cool off in an icy mountain waterfall. Just two hours from Phoenix, Mazatzal offers access to remote wilderness you can experience without having to venture too far from the comforts of urban life.
Mazatzal Wilderness Area is a backpacker’s paradise
The more than 40 hiking trails at Mazatzal offer breathtaking Tonto National Forest scenery full of unforgettable wildlife and panoramic views. “…This ‘secret’ area has some of the most beautiful, interesting, fascinating geography, geology, flora and fauna to be found anywhere in the high Sonora Desert,” writes a reviewer on TripAdvisor. “You’re almost guaranteed to see not a single other person for your entire hike, but you’ll see birds, snakes, lizards, range cattle, desert bighorn sheep and who-knows-what other animals while getting a sense of what it must have been like a hundred years and more ago, the natural environment almost absent [of] the effects of human beings.” One of the most popular hikes includes the moderate, 6.2-mile Barnhardt Trail Waterfall, where the sound of birds singing will be your soundtrack as you hike through lush vegetation punctuated by red rocks and jagged cliffs to lookout points with sweeping views of the hazy rolling hills and olive-green forests below. A seasonal waterfall is your reward at the end. “Barnhardt trail is an absolute must, one of the top 5 classic hikes in Arizona,” says a reviewer on a forum for Backpacking Light.
Although gorgeous, many of the trails are challenging, with cat claw plants that snag on your clothing, treacherously steep inclines, and rocky, overgrown terrain where you can twist an ankle if you’re not careful. Portions of the Arizona National Scenic Trail pass through the wilderness area, too, with the Arizona National Scenic Trail ranking number six in the list of the 11 U.S. National Scenic Hiking Trails ranked by difficulty.
Mazatzal offers primitive and dispersed camping throughout the wilderness area that can serve adventure-seeking backpackers and multi-day hikers with a remote wilderness camping experience. None of the campsites have toilets or any other facilities and all campers are encouraged to follow Leave No Trace principles and pack out all waste. Although glamping this is not, the campsites offer scenic views of ponderosa pine canyons and fire-red mountain ridges. For those looking looking to RV or car camp, Mazatzal is about a 40-minute drive from Payson, a high-elevation Arizona lakeside town where you can camp at one of the full-service campgrounds as well as shop, dine, and gamble at the Mazatzal Casino.
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A former candidate for Gilbert mayor has opened the first Arizona location of a Founding Fathers-themed ice cream shop in Chandler.
Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream is a Utah-based ice cream shop centered around the early history of the United States. Female employees scoop cones in bonnets and dresses; male employees wear tricorn hats and coats. The ice cream flavors have names like Martha Washington’s Colonial Cotton Candy and Alexander Hamilton’s Not Throwing Away My Scoop.
On a trip to Utah in 2019, Arizonan Shane Krauser went to a Brooker’s and was blown away.
“I walked out of that, called my wife Janelle and I said, ‘We will own one of these,’” Krauser said.
The couple had no previous restaurant experience, but decided to open up the chain’s first location outside of Utah, choosing a storefront near the intersection of Chandler Boulevard and Dobson Road. The store opened on June 6.
Krauser loves how the shop creates conversation among customers about American history.
“I love history. I love the Founding Fathers. I love the ideals of America,” Krauser said. “It’s an amazing concept.”
Opening Founding Flavors isn’t political, it’s a ‘labor of love’
Krauser is a retired lawyer turned motivational speaker who addresses topics including “freedom, the proper role of government and the parameters of the U.S. and state constitutions,” according to his website.
In 2024, Krauser ran for Gilbert mayor, but withdrew his candidacy amid scrutiny over involvement with a past investment fraud scheme and his son’s appearance in a video with the Gilbert Goons, The Arizona Republic reported.
Although the shop plans to host events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S., such as one for Constitution Day in September, Krauser said he does not see the ice cream store as related to his political career.
“The mayoral run was something to be involved in politically. This is more of a labor of love,” Krauser said. “This is not political in nature at all. It’s an ice cream shop with an American theme.”
Details: 2560 W. Chandler Blvd. #3, Chandler. brookersicecream.com, 480-881-6100.
Reach the reporter at reia.li@gannett.com. Follow @reia_reports on Instagram.
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