200lbs of Meth- Another Large Drug Bust by Mesa PD

On December 21, 2022, just before 6:30pm, 36-year-old Eric Leon was stopped for speeding near 40^th St./ 202 San Tan Freeway in Phoenix. Leon had two Mesa City Warrants and was taken into custody. Officers called for a tow truck to pick up Leon’s vehicle. During an inventory search of the vehicle, officers from the Central Street Crimes Unit found two large duffel bags and two cardboard boxes loaded with approximately 200lbs of zip lock baggies full of methamphetamine. The approximate street value is $400,000.

Eric Leon was booked into jail for the following charges and held on a $151,500 bond.

ARS 13-3407A2; Possession of Dangerous Drugs for Sale, a class 2 felony

ARS 13-3407A7; Possession of Dangerous Drugs- Transportation, a class 2 felony

ARS 13-3407A1; Possession of Dangerous Drugs, a class 4 felony

2 Mesa City Warrants

Eric Leon Mug Shot

If you or anyone you know are struggling with addiction, one resource that may help is Community Bridges or call (877) 931-9142.

DNA IDENTIFIES SUSPECT IN STABBING AT 7-11

On September 21, 2022, just before 4:00pm, Mesa Police Officers responded to 7-11 at Gilbert and Main for a stabbing. Officers learned that a man had entered the store and took a drink without paying for it. When the employee confronted the man outside of the business, the man pushed the employee to the ground and began to hit and kick him repeatedly. The man then pulled out a knife and stabbed the employee before leaving the scene and walking into McDonalds.

Officers went to McDonalds and found that the man had already left the restaurant and went to the light rail platform. They also learned that while in the restaurant, the man entered the employee area, took a cup, and filled it at the drink station. He was confronted by a manager and pepper sprayed by a customer before leaving with the drink he did not pay for.

Video surveillance was obtained from 7-11, McDonalds, and the light rail.

While watching the 7-11 video, officers noticed that that the man had thrown a white water bottle with black writing on it in the trash can just in front of the store before walking inside. The water bottle was collected and submitted as evidence for analysis.

On November 9, 2022, the Mesa Crime Lab reported that DNA obtained from the collected water bottle was found to match DNA entered in CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) for 31-year-old Jody Naputi.

Officers compared Jody’s MVD photo to all the surveillance videos and confirmed Naputi was the suspect in both incidents.

On December 7, 2022, Naputi was located in the 600 block of south 93^rd St Mesa, AZ and was taken into custody without issue.

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

ARS 13-1904A2; Armed Robbery, a class 2 felony

ARS 13-1506A1; Burglary in the 3^rd Degree, a class 4 felony

Jody Naputi Mug Shot

Lamb’s Shoe Repair Homicide Suspect Arrested

On December 6, 2022, just before 12:30pm, Mesa Police Officers responded to Lamb’s Shoe Repair, located at 28 S. Macdonald for reports of the shop owner being dead inside the business. The caller was a customer who arrived at the shop and after not seeing anyone around, started to search the business. The customer found 58-year-old Jesus Fabian De La Rosa (Fabian) lying on the ground with gunshot wounds to his body.

Officers began looking at the call history for police response to see if Fabian had any problems with anyone recently. They found that Fabian made a police report on December 1, 2022, regarding a stolen firearm. Fabian reported that his .380 caliber handgun had been stolen. Fabian told officers that he allowed an unhoused man to use the restroom in his business from time to time and he thought he may have stolen the gun. 

Family members advised officers that Fabian wore a gun in a holster to work that day. When Fabian was found, he still wore the gun holster, but there was no gun inside. Officers located fired cartridges at the scene that match both the calibers of the stolen gun and the gun Fabian had been wearing. 

Family also told officers that Fabian always had his cell phone with him. The cell phone was missing from the store. 

Witnesses told officers a man wearing unique clothing had been in the area. After viewing the light rail surveillance video, officers found the described man getting off and on the light rail at Country Club Dr. and Main St. before and after the murder. The man was wearing a helmet that covered his face and had a walking cane when he first got off the light rail. This man did not have a cane when he got back on; however, officers located the cane inside Lamb’s Shoe Repair during their investigation. 

Officers requested cell phone data from Fabian’s cell phone and traced the phone from Mesa to Phoenix, the same route the described man took on the light rail. The phone was powered off the night of the murder close to the Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) in Phoenix. 

On December 9, 2022, at 5:30pm, Officers located and arrested 65-year-old Lynell Brosier at CASS. He had Fabian’s stolen .380 caliber handgun in his waistband. 

Brosier was booked into jail for the following charges:

ARS 13-1105A1; 1^st Degree Murder, a class 1 felony

ARS 13-1904A1; Armed Robbery, a class 2 felony

ARS 13-3102A4; Misconduct Involving Weapons (Prohibited Possessor), a class 4 felony

ARS 13-1802A1; Theft of a Firearm, a class 6 felony

ARS 13-1802A5; Possession of Stolen Property, a class 1 misdemeanor

Lynell Brosier Mug Shot

It goes without saying, but we want to say it anyway. Jesus Fabian De La Rosa (Fabian) was a pillar in our Mesa Community. He has owned Lamb’s Shoe Repair since 2005 and has never hesitated to help anyone in need. It is apparent how much he meant to the community in the comments left by over 100 people on our social media platforms. Our hope is that his family sees and reads the comments and knows how much he was loved by seemingly everyone.  

A special thanks goes out to the Mesa Homicide Unit. This case required hours of video collecting and monitoring. Watching video can be tedious work, especially when looking for something specific. Our detectives spent four days working around the clock to bring a close to the murder of Fabian De La Rosa and it does not go unnoticed. Thank you.

And finally, our Special Operations Division. The arrest of Lynell Brosier could not have been made without you all. Thank you.

In case you missed it, the City of Mesa highlighted Fabian in a YouTube video 9 months ago. Please watch this to get a better understanding of the type of person he was:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyaVGyhO2HM