Operation Deja Boo

A joint operation involving several law enforcement agencies leads to the arrests of 30 suspects for child sex related crimes.

During the month of October, multiple valley police agencies participated in Operation “Deja Boo.” This operation targeted sex buyers involved in child sex trafficking and those intent on luring minors for sexual exploitation.  The collaborative efforts of those involved led to the filing of child sex related crimes on 30 individuals through the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

This operation was conducted by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, and Chandler Police Departments, as well as Homeland Security Investigations. The ability of all these agencies to come together and work as a unit led to the success of this operation. The arrests breakdown as follows:

 

o   Phoenix Police:    11 arrests

o   Scottsdale Police: 8 arrests

o   Mesa Police:         7 arrests

o   Chandler Police:   2 arrests

o   Tempe Police:      2 arrests

Arrest totals:           30

 

Below are the suspects who were arrested in the Mesa Police cases. For information on the others, please contact the respective departments listed above.

If you have information about someone being trafficked, contact your local police department or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or https://humantraffickinghotline.org/

Samuel Davis

Charges:

2 counts- ARS 13-3212.B2 Child Sex Trafficking, 13-2317.A1, Money Laundering

 

Alex Zean

 Charges:

ARS 13-3554.A, Luring of a Minor for Sexual Exploitation, ARS 13-1405.A Attempted Sexual conduct with a minor (3F).

Tom Lindgaard Hansen

Charges:

ARS 13-3212.B2, Child Sex Trafficking, 13-2317.A1, Money Laundering

Jordan Higgins

Charges:

ARS 13-3554.A, luring of a Minor for Sexual Exploitation, ARS 13-1405.A, Attempted Sexual conduct with a minor (3F).

Delbert Lee

Charges:

ARS 13-3554.A, luring of a Minor for Sexual Exploitation, ARS 13-1405.A, Attempted Sexual conduct with a minor (3F). 

David Castaneda Gomez

Charges:

ARS 13-3212.B2, Child Sex Trafficking, 13-2317.A1, Money Laundering,

 

Nathan Ortiz

Charges:

ARS 13-3212.B2, Child Sex Trafficking, 13-2317.A1, Money Laundering

 

Man Fires Handgun at Mesa Police Officer

On November 8, 2021, just after 2:00 a.m., a Mesa Police Officer noticed a vehicle with a broken taillight and initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle pulled into the apartment complex of 1903 N. Country Club Mesa, AZ and the officer followed with his overhead red and blue lights flashing. Suddenly, an occupant leaned out of the passenger side window pointing a handgun and shot several rounds at the officer. The driver then sped out of the complex.

The officer pursued the vehicle, driving northbound onto the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and coming to a stop on a dirt road that dead ended at the Verde River. At this time, 34-year-old Chanceler Sandoval, ran from the vehicle, leaving the driver, 33-year-old Tobias Thomas, and a female passenger behind.

Officers from DPS, MCSO, and Fort McDowell all responded to assist and helped take Thomas and the female into custody.

Around 3:19 a.m., a deputy with MCSO heard a noise by the river and yelled out to challenge the disturbance. Sandoval emerged soaking wet and cold; he surrendered to police officers without further incident.

Officers saw a handgun inside the vehicle and seized the vehicle as evidence, pending a search warrant to recover the weapon.

Sandoval told officers that he was recently released from prison and did not want to go back. He knew the officer was trying to pull the vehicle over and admitted to shooting the handgun toward the officer. Sandoval also stated that while the vehicle fled, he reloaded the handgun in preparation for another shoot-out with police.

Officers located six shell casings at 1903 N. Country Club along with video surveillance of the incident.

The officer who initiated the traffic stop was not injured. Upon inspection of his patrol vehicle, the officer located what appeared to be a bullet strike to the hood of his car.

The female passenger was interviewed and released without charges.

Chanceler Sandoval was booked into jail for the following charges and held on a $100,000 bond:

6 counts ARS 13-1204A8A- Aggravated Assault on Law Enforcement, a class 2 felony

1 count ARS 13-1209A- Drive by Shooting, a class 2 felony

1 count ARS 13-1211B- Discharging a Firearm at a Structure, a class 3 felony

1 count ARS 13-3102A4- Misconduct Involving Weapons, a class 5 felony

1 count ARS 13-3107A- Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm, a class 6 felony

Chanceler Sandoval Mug Shot

Tobias Thomas was booked into jail for the following charges:

1 count ARS 28-622.01- Unlawful Flight from Law Enforcement, a class 5 felony

1 count ARS 28-1383A1- Aggravated DUI, a class 4 felony

1 count ARS 13-1201A- Endangerment, a class 6 felony

Tobias Thomas Mug Shot

Mesa Police Wrap Up Operation Summer Project

The Mesa Police Department concluded their Operation Summer Project on October 8, 2021.  The main goal of the Operation Summer Project was to reduce violent crime within the City of Mesa.  To help reach this goal a high visibility enforcement model using an intelligence driven/ targeted effort focused on violent crime was utilized.

The operation was in effect from June 30- October 8, 2021. Officers, detectives, and professional staff from throughout the Police Department were involved and worked together to identify and locate individuals within the community that were committing violent crimes. Those participating in the operation conducted enforcement activities throughout the entire city.  During the timeframe of the project hundreds of arrests were made resulting in illegal drug seizures, weapon seizures, and warrant arrests.  The Mesa community was also instrumental in the success of this operation by submitting crime tips that assisted and furthered investigations. 

Below are statistical results of the 15-week operation and a few examples of subjects arrested:

645 overall arrests, 317 Adult Felony and 321 Adult Misdemeanor / 3 Juvenile Felony and 4 Juvenile Misdemeanor

148 Felony warrants cleared

213 Misdemeanor warrants cleared

32,800 grams of methamphetamine seized, street value of $180,700

84,603 Fentanyl pills seized, street value of $846,000

1,784 grams of cocaine seized, street value of $142,700

136 DUI arrests (alcohol) and 33 DUI arrest (drugs)

73 Firearms seized

Rickey Cheney Mug Shot

54-year-old Rickey Cheney was arrested for armed robbery, aggravated assault, and 3^rd degree burglary.  This arrest was a result of Cheney violently assaulting and robbing a customer at a convenience store in the area of 1200 S. Higley.  After severely injuring that victim Cheney went to the area of 1400 S. Higley, entered the domicile of another victim, and seriously assaulted that victim.  Cheney was held on $10,000 bond at the time of this arrest.

Frankie Miranda Mug Shot

30-year-old Frankie Miranda was arrested for aggravated assault, warrants and other weapons charges.  This arrest was a result of a shooting that occurred during an altercation in a parking lot in the area of 800 N. Dobson Rd.  Miranda was held on No Bond at the time of his arrest.

Marc Garcia

38-year-old Marc Garcia was arrested for aggravated assault and weapons charges when officers involved in the operation caught him chasing two males with a large, fixed blade knife in the area of 200 S. Country Club Dr.  Garcia was held on $10,000 bond at the time of his arrest.

The work performed by the officers, detectives and professional staff in this operation is a good example of the commitment of the Mesa Police Department to making the streets of Mesa safer for our community through strategic planning, intelligence led policing, technology, and hard work.