New Year, New Website for Mesa PD

The Mesa Police Department is proud to announce the launch of their new custom-designed recruitment website, Join Mesa PD. The new site launched at the beginning of January 2023. It provides an experience for viewers with enhances photos and videos and is designed specifically to encourage job seekers across the country to learn more about the Mesa Police Department.

In August 2022, interviews were conducted with City of Mesa employees in what was called “Discovery Day.” Based on those interviews, three main pillars were established to build the website around: Learn. Lead. Live.

In addition, a digital marketing campaign, “The Mesa Way,” was created and utilized across all online channels to advertise, engage, and attract interested candidates to everything the Mesa Police Department has to offer.

Since the launch, the website has generated 1.67 million views from across the nation compared to the previous website.

Check it out, the website is LIVE! Visit joinmesapd.com and apply now!

Mesa Homicide- Do You Have Information?

On January 17, 2023, just before 7:00 p.m., Mesa Police Officers responded to Goodwill, located at 1900 E. University for reports of a man down in the parking lot who was not breathing. The man was identified as 32-year-old Johnathan Gliege. Johnathan had injuries to his body that appear to be the result of foul play. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. 

Officers began looking for security cameras in the area and spoke to several people, but at this point have not been able to identify any witnesses or locate any video footage to show what happened.   

The Mesa Police Department is asking the public for help. Please look at the photograph of Johnathan. If you saw him in the area of Gilbert and University in the early evening hours of January 17, 2023, you may have information that could help solve this case. Please contact the Mesa Police Department at 480-644-2211 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS with any information.

Victim- Johnathan Gliege

Mesa PD’s Homicide Unit Ends 2022 With 88.46% Clearance Rate

Mesa Police Department’s Homicide Unit. We throw the name around in media releases and blogs for all to read, but what does the generic title even mean? Who are the people in the unit and what exactly do they do?

Our Homicide Unit is comprised of one Lieutenant, two Sergeants, nine field detectives, one cold case detective, one civilian investigator, seven cold case volunteers, one intern, and one crime analyst… phew! Seems like a lot. But let’s break it down even further. What happens when someone is murdered in Mesa? Who responds?

Initially patrol officers will be dispatched. Once on scene, if they determine the death is suspicious or if they know for sure it is a murder, the Homicide Unit gets called out. No, not the whole unit, but a select few. The Homicide Unit has an “on-call” team on standby and ready to go at any time, any day of the week. The on-call team is made up of one sergeant and three detectives and they rotate teams every week. Just imagine what it’s like for that team when in one week there are multiple call outs. Yes, it does happen. And to top it off, the on-call team also responds to Mesa Police Officer involved shootings, whether the person has died or not. Oh- side note… they also review every dead body call in Mesa that is not a vehicular homicide. That’s 915 dead body calls in the last year! The only dead body cases our Homicide Unit does not investigate are vehicular homicides (i.e., DUI or hit and run related collisions resulting in death), which is taken on by our Vehicular Crimes Unit- that’s a whole other story.

Our Homicide Unit responded to and took lead on 26 cases with 31 victims in 2022. They solved all but three cases, and usually within a month of the murder. This gave a clearance rate of 88.46%, an impressive number, especially when talking about the most heinous of crimes. But then I learned, comparative to 2021 and many years before, this was no rarity. This was the elite work of the Mesa Police Department.

When I sat down with the unit, in awe of the work they accomplished, Detective Delia Marquez quickly informed me, “It’s never a one man show.” With Detective J. Ingram adding that the mass number of murders are solved because of, “businesses and private citizens coming forward with information.” I watched as several other detectives nodded their heads in agreement.

In addition to the community working with the police, internally, multiple units in the police department also become involved in homicide cases. This includes Crime Scene Specialists- to photograph the scene as well as collect and process evidence, the Real Time Crime Center- to gather intelligence, and the Special Operations Division- to plan the apprehension of an outstanding suspect. “The Crime Lab and Firearms Examiners also play a huge role in solving homicide cases.” Added Detective Paul Sipe.

Every detective I spoke to was quick to get any praise off of them, immediately. The genuine spirit of a homicide detective was humbling. Detective Amy Johnson is the most senior detective on the unit, being a police officer for 23 years, with 10 of those years in the Homicide Unit. I asked why she has stayed in this unit for so long. She said it is the fulfillment of “seeing a case through from beginning to end.”

The newest member of the Homicide Unit has been on the team for eight months, Detective J. Ingram. With 23 years in law enforcement, he shared his eye-opening experience about becoming a Homicide Detective and sliding into a role that put him as the tie between a lost loved one and their family members. He said, “The most difficult part (of being a homicide detective) is the death notification.”

In 2022, 31 people in Mesa died at the hands of someone else: 23 by gunfire, four by stabbing, one by hammer, one by fire, one by vehicle (purposely ran victim over with car- twice), and one by strangulation. 20 cases have been solved resulting in charges filed, one case was solved as self-defense (no charges), and two additional cases were solved due to the suspects killing themselves in a murder/ suicide prior to law enforcement involvement. That leaves three unsolved cases.

• The shooting deaths of 23yo Willie Love and 25yo Curtis West at 1457 W. Southern on June 4, 2022.
• The stabbing death of 25yo Gabriel Hilsdorf at 825 S. Alma School on September 20, 2022.
• The shooting death of 22yo Maximillian Utley at 1302 S. Revere on November 25, 2022.

What happens to unsolved homicide cases? Walking through the office, I saw stacks of paperwork and many detectives fully invested in their computer screens. Detective Teresa Van Galder had a mountain of papers in a cardboard box just inside her cubicle. She is the only sworn Cold Case Detective in the Homicide Unit. To be classified as a cold case in Arizona, the case must be “unsolved for one year or more after being reported to a law enforcement agency, and that has no viable and unexplored investigatory leads” as defined by ARS 13-4271.

Detective Van Galder has a case load of approximately 100 cold cases, which prompted the need for civilian volunteers. The volunteers dedicate their own time to reviewing cold cases and seeing if they can find anything that may have been missed or could ultimately help solve a stagnant case. Alongside her is Civilian Investigator Roland Brown, a retired police officer from Detroit, Michigan. Roland spent 23 of his 26 years in law enforcement in Investigations. So, why come back after retirement? He says, “Working cold case homicide allows me to continue my commitment to bringing closure to family members who still believe in the justice system.”

Curious about what other units do on the Mesa Police Department? Leave us a comment, telling us what you want to read about.

If anyone has information about any unsolved homicide, please call the Mesa Police Department’s non-emergency line at 480-644-2211 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.

Mesa Police Department is always hiring, check out our website at JOIN MESA.

Sgt. Brad Clarke on scene with Detectives Paul Sipe and Steve Smith

Detective Delia Marquez measures the height of a car

 

Detective J. Ingram looks over a case

Detective J. Ingram points out scene evidence to Lt. Jason Redwing and Sgt. Brad Clarke

Detective Dan Hallemeyer discusses a case with Detective Steve Smith

Sgt. Brad Clarke and Detective Dan Hallemeyer search a dumpster

MESA POLICE ARREST HOMICIDE SUSPECT AND WIFE

The Mesa Police Department investigated a murder that occurred on December 28, 2022, with very little evidence to go on. A man was found dead in the roadway from a gunshot wound, but there were no shell casings found around his body or any witnesses who may have seen what happened. Officers from multiple divisions within the police department worked together to watch video surveillance, comb through cellular data, and write and serve numerous search warrants. Within two days, a suspect was in custody because of the tireless hours put in by members of the Homicide Unit, the Special Operations Division, the Real Time Crime Center, and our police partners at the Department of Public Safety (DPS). Without their dedication to solving this case, the suspect may never have been caught.

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On December 30, 2022, just after 11:00pm, Mesa Police Officers arrested 33-year-old Heath Daniel for First Degree Murder. Daniel’s wife, 37-year-old Vanessa Daniel was also arrested for hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence.

On December 28, 2022, just before 7:00am, Mesa Police officers responded to 260 W. 8^th Ave for reports of a “man down” in the roadway. It was discovered that the man, later identified as 31-year-old Jose Olvera Ramirez had been shot. Jose was pronounced dead on scene.

With no witnesses to what may have occurred and very little evidence on scene, detectives from the Homicide Unit turned to video surveillance cameras in the surrounding area to help piece together what may have occurred. Video from Circle K, on the corner of 8^th Ave and Country Club, showed Jose interacting with someone in a white passenger car just 10 minutes before officers were dispatched to the scene. The driver of the car was a man wearing a dark hat with the letters “NY” on it. The car had identifiable damage to the bumper and was picked up by other surveillance cameras, which ultimately gave officers a license plate, and registered owner, Heath Daniel.

Cellular phone records were obtained and showed Daniel’s phone in the area of the murder at the time it occurred. 

On December 30, 2022, officers served multiple search warrants for various locations associated with Daniel. At Daniel’s house, officers found a dark hat with “NY” on it along with an empty gun box for a .45 caliber pistol. Daniel’s vehicle was found at a relative’s house, where he and his wife, Vanessa Daniel, asked them to hold on to it and a box of .45 caliber cartridges. Fired and unfired .45 caliber casings were found in and on Daniel’s vehicle. Officers also learned, at another location, Daniel said he shot a man and even showed a .45 caliber handgun to a witness.

While officers were serving the search warrants, information was obtained that Daniel had left the area in a separate vehicle. DPS assisted Mesa Police Officers and located Daniel and his wife traveling on the I-10 southbound toward Tucson, AZ.

Both Heath and Vanessa Daniel were transported back to Mesa, where they were both booked into jail.

Heath was booked under the following charges and held on a $500,000 bond:

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

ARS 13-3102A4; Prohibited Possessor, a class 4 felony

Heath Daniel Mug Shot

Vanessa was booked into jail on the following charges:

ARS 13-2512B1; Hindering Prosecution, a class 3 felony

ARS 13-2809A1; Tampering with Evidence, a class 6 felony

Vanessa Daniel Mug Shot