Homicide Victim Identified

On March 9, 2018, at about 8:00pm, officers responded to 549 E. Hilton for a welfare check.  The caller reported there was an unknown person outside of their house calling for help. Patrol arrived and found an adult male suffering from obvious trauma.  He was transported to the hospital where he later passed away from his injuries.

The victim has now been identified as Callow J. Brown, Age 27.  Brown did not live at the home and the circumstances of his death remain under investigation.  The next-of-kin has been notified.  Anyone who may have been in the area of Mesa Dr. and Hilton on March 9, 2018, in the early evening hours and observed anything suspicious, is encouraged to contact the Mesa Police Department at 480-644-2211, option 2,  or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.

Suspect Who Shot at Officer Booked into Jail.

The suspect who shot at officers in the early morning hours of  March 10, 2018, has been released from the hospital and booked into jail.

Abel Manuel Lopez, age 27, was the driver of a vehicle on Saturday morning when an officer attempted to pull him over for expired registration. Lopez did not stop and sped away from the officer. The officer did not pursue, but the Mesa Police Air Unit was able to follow the vehicle and update its location to ground officers. The vehicle ultimately stopped at 226 N. Hobson, where Lopez exited the car and ran through the complex.

The first arriving officer gave chase and cornered Lopez in a stairwell. When the officer started giving verbal commands for Lopez to come out, he instead pulled a handgun and pointed it the officer.  Due to the threat of being shot, the officer fired his duty weapon at Lopez.  Lopez still did not comply and fired several rounds at the officer. The officer again called for Lopez to comply and surrender.  Instead, Lopez leaned from behind the stairwell and pointed his gun at the officer. Again, due to the threat, the officer fired one more round at Lopez, who then complained that he was injured.

Continuing to be defiant, Lopez threw his gun in the direction of the officer and remained concealed in the stairwell. Refusing to come out, a police K9 was deployed and he bit, allowing the officers to take Lopez into custody. Lopez was transported to the hospital for a gunshot wound and dog bite injuries. Once the scene was secure, the gun thrown by Lopez was examined.  It appears he threw the gun because it was jammed and would no longer fire.

Fortunately, no officers or other residents of the complex were injured in the exchange of gunfire.  This is another example of the dangers of police work. We often here the phrase "routine traffic stop."  This incident started as a traffic stop that turned out to be anything but "routine."

Lopez has been booked for:
3 counts of Aggravated Assault with deadly weapon, a class 2 felony.
1 count of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement officer, a class 2 felony.
1 count of Possession of a weapon for Prohibited Possessor, a class 4 felony.
1 count of Unlawful Flight from Law Enforcement, a class 5 felony.
1 count of Resisting Arrest, a class 1 misdemeanor.

Abel Manuel Lopez

Fatal Hit and Run Suspect Arrested

After two years of investigation, the family of William Hawkins Jr. may finally have closure.  Hawkins was walking in the 1300 block of West University on the evening of March 6, 2016, when he was struck and killed by a passing vehicle. The driver did not stop and fled the scene.  Detectives have been working leads since the night of the accident.

Based on a tip from Silent Witness, Felicia Marie Hernandez, age 34, was identified as the driver.  Once identified, forensic evidence and interviews were conducted.  During her interview, Hernandez admitted to her involvement in the crime.

We are happy to report that nearly two years to the day, Hernandez has been arrested and booked for one count of leaving the scene of a fatal accident, ARS 28-661.B, a class 2 Felony.

This arrest was great detective work and hopefully provides closure to the family and community.

Suspect Felicia Hernandez

Victim William Hawkins Jr.

March 4, 2018 Homicide Suspect Arrested

On March 4, 2018, Mesa Police received a call for service about a black adult male lying or sleeping in the middle of the street by the light rail construction just east of the intersection of Stapley Road and Main Street, in Mesa.  When officers arrived, they located 34-year-old Robert Henry Stevenson unresponsive with multiple stab wounds.  He was pronounced deceased on scene by Mesa Fire and Medical.

During the initial investigation officers were able to locate the crime scene at the Frontier Motel located at 1307 E. Main Street, just west of where Mr. Stevenson was found.  Through witness information it was subsequently determined that the possible suspect involved was Derick Eugene Holman.  Mr. Holman apparently went to 1307 E. Main and confronted Mr. Stevenson who was the ex-boyfriend of Holman’s wife.

Detectives later located Mr. Holman at a relative’s residence in Phoenix at approximately noon on March 4^th.  Evidence supportive of his involvement in the Homicide were also found on Mr. Holman.  He was taken into custody and booked for one count of Second Degree Murder, a class one felony.

The Mesa Police Department worked non-stop to locate the individual responsible. Their ability to follow up on limited details, locating, and arresting a suspect within 24 hours of the incident is remarkable. These types of incident are challenging, especially when there are partial details. An outcome such as this, can provide the victim’s family and community with a sense of closure and relief.

Derick Holman

Nail Salon Homicide Suspect Confirmed

On February 2, 2018, Lindsey Eastridge was fatally attacked by a male subject with a knife while at a nail salon in East Mesa. Investigators worked diligently gathering evidence and following up on all possible leads. The identification of the individual responsible was still unknown.

On February 28, 2018, a press release seeking the public’s assistance to help identify the individual responsible was distributed. The release contained surveillance photos and video depicting the suspect. With the assistance from Silent Witness, numerous tips were received. Several tips led investigators to focus on an individual by the name of Christopher Race, a 36-year-old Caucasian male who lived at the mobile home community at 8865 E. Baseline. This location is directly next door to the commercial plaza where the homicide occurred. Investigators became aware that Christopher had a reported history of mental illness and was known to possess numerous knives. Further investigation established sufficient evidence for Christopher to be apprehended.

On the morning of March 2, 2018, officers located and approached Christopher. At that time, Christopher immediately advanced towards officers while reaching for something in his waistband. They observed a knife in Christopher’s hands and deployed less lethal beanbag rounds. The beanbag rounds were unsuccessful as Christopher sprinted towards the officers with a knife continuing to pose a threat. Fearing for his life, an officer was forced to discharge his duty weapon. Medical aid was immediately performed on Christopher; however, he was pronounced deceased on scene.

Christopher’s DNA analysis was expedited through the Mesa Police Forensic Lab. Preliminary DNA results indicate a match between Christopher and blood evidence collected at the nail salon homicide scene. Subsequently, the Mesa Police Department executed a search warrant at Christopher’s residence, resulting in the collection of evidence including several knives. Additional forensic testing will need to be conducted to determine if the evidence collected was involved in the nail salon homicide. A motive to this heinous crime has still not been established.

The Mesa Police Department appreciates the efforts of everyone who has assisted with this investigation. The homicide investigators and forensic personnel involved in this investigation worked tirelessly to investigate this senseless homicide and their efforts will hopefully bring a sense of closure to Lindsey’s family. A special Thank You to the community who supported this investigation and provided valuable information to assist in identifying the suspect. Also, it should be noted that our partners, such as Silent Witness and Rocky Mountain Information Network (RMIN), provided valuable support during this period.