Mesa Police Department Begins Encryption of all Patrol Radio Frequencies

Today, the Mesa Police Department will initiate their patrol radio encryption program.  All Mesa Police Department radio frequencies will be encrypted.  This encryption program will complete a year long process that will bring the Mesa Police Department in line with the best practices established by other major police agencies throughout the United States. The main reasons for the encryption process are: 

1. To help protect personal identifying information that may be broadcasted over a radio frequency
2. To enhance officer safety by preventing the criminal element from discovering real time police locations, tactics, and strategies during a police response
3. To assist in maintaining the integrity of criminal investigations 

Transparency and the positive relationship we share with our community is of the utmost importance to the Mesa Police Department.  To balance the need for transparency and the safety of the public and our officers, all radio traffic will be available to the public with a one-hour time delay.

Privately purchased police scanners will not be able to receive encrypted radio traffic. To listen to the Mesa Police Department radio traffic, with the one-hour time delay, please access the below streaming links for each of our Patrol Districts:

Central Patrol District

Fiesta Patrol District

Red Mountain Patrol District

Superstition Patrol District

These links can also be accessed on the Mesa Police Department’s website, 

https://www.mesaazpolice.gov/about-mesa-pd/communications/radio-frequencies 

Or via the Broadcastify® application that is available in either the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

Mesa Police Seize Illegal Fireworks from Two Mesa Locations

Over the past two weeks the Mesa Police Department, with assistance from the Mesa Fire/Medical Department, has seized large quantities of prohibited fireworks from two different locations in Mesa.

One of the seizures occurred in the area of 1200 N. Mesa Dr. in Mesa on 6-29-22. This investigation involved not only seizing large quantities of prohibited fireworks, but also led to the arrest of a suspect with a violent criminal history. This investigation began when a detective located an on-line add reference the sale of prohibited fireworks in Mesa. Detectives were able to purchase the illegal fireworks and later served a search warrant seizing 1665 packages of fireworks valued at $7,755.00 and two AR-15 rifles. The suspect, 40-year-old George Baber, was booked on Misconduct Involving Weapons/Prohibited Possessor and misdemeanor charges related to fireworks violations will be filed through the Mesa City Court.

The other seizure occurred at a Liquor/Smoke Shop located in the area of 300 W. Brown in Mesa. After receiving an anonymous tip of the store selling illegal fireworks Mesa Police Detectives opened an investigation. During the course of this investigation undercover detectives entered the store and visually saw the illegal fireworks on display and were able to purchase them from store employees. After the purchase was made a search warrant was executed on the store on 6-24-22. During the search warrant 129 prohibited fireworks with a total value of $4,052.00 were seized. There are pending criminal charges on the store owner. The Mesa Fire/Medical Department assisted in the safe storage of the seized fireworks after they were seized.

1200 N Mesa Drive

300 W. Brown

The Mesa Police Department is fully committed to the enforcement of firework laws, both the use and sale of prohibited fireworks. The use of prohibited fireworks is not only illegal but is extremely dangerous. They create a fire hazard as well as an injury hazard. The Mesa Police Department will be out in force on the 4th of July enforcing fireworks laws.

For more information on what is legal and not legal when it comes to fireworks in Mesa, please go to https://fire.mesaaz.gov/community-outreach/fireworks for further information. If you have any information reference illegal firework sales or illegal firework use, please call the Mesa Police Department at 480-644-2211.

Circle K Armed Robbery Suspects Arrested

On June 17, 2022, members of the Mesa Police Department's Major Crimes Unit in conjunction with members of the Arizona WANTED Task Force arrested 49-year-old Brandie Walker and her boyfriend, 48-year-old Johnathan Roy, for three counts of Armed Robbery after they robbed three separate Circle K convenient stores with a weapon.

The crime spree started on May 14, 2022, around 9:00 p.m., when a woman put on a black wig and entered the Circle K located at 2005 W. Broadway Mesa, AZ with a handgun. The victim told Mesa Police Officers that the woman demanded money from the cash register while displaying a gun. After providing money to the woman, the victim jumped over the counter and disarmed her. The woman ran from the store, leaving her loaded handgun in the hands of the victim, who then gave it to police.

On May 19, 2022, at 4:45 a.m., officers were sent to another armed robbery at a Circle K located at 1959 S. Greenfield. The victim told officers that a man wearing a gray wig came into the store with a handgun and demanded money from the cash register. The man had a distinct tattoo on his right arm and wore easily recognizable clothing.

The third and final armed robbery occurred on June 12, 2022, just after 1:00 a.m. The Circle K at 1557 S. Val Vista was robbed by a woman wearing a brown wig armed with a handgun. This time, the woman left the scene in a vehicle driven by a man. Officers were able to retrieve the vehicle license plate number through Circle K video surveillance.

The Arizona WANTED Task Force located the vehicle at a hotel near Country Club Dr/ Hampton and eventually took Walker and Roy into custody. A search warrant was written and served on the vehicle and hotel room, allowing officers to collect evidence of the crime, to include a black BB gun and a black wig.

Brandie Walker was booked into jail for the following charges and held on a $40,500 bond:

(3 counts) ARS 13-1904A2; Armed Robbery, a class 2 felony  

1 Mesa City Warrant

1 Phoenix City Warrant

Brandie Walker Mug Shot

Johnathan Roy was booked into jail for the following charges and held on a $50,000 bond:

(3 counts) ARS 13-1904A2; Armed Robbery, a class 2 felony

Johnathan Roy Mug Shot

Drive By Shooter Arrested

On May 15, 2022, just after midnight, Mesa Police Officers were dispatched to the area of 400 South Stewart for reports of gunshots. When officers arrived, they located approximately 98 spent rounds scattered on south Stewart to west Vine Ave (approximately ¼ mile.) Of the 98 spent rounds, officers discovered several different types: 9mm, .40 caliber, and .223/ 5.56 assault rifle casings. 

Officers located a victim, who had been hosting a party on Stewart, and learned that 21-year-old Jorge de Jesus Rubio had tried to attend the party but was denied access due to his behavior at a prior party held in March. The victim told officers that Jorge was armed with a handgun and that another man with him had an assault rifle. After being told to leave, Jorge and the other subjects walked back to their vehicle.

A witness told officers they watched gunfire come from the vehicle as it drove away south on Stewart and then west on Vine Ave.

The victim later found two bullet holes on their house and one on a family member’s vehicle. At the time of the shooting, the house was occupied by several people, to include children.

On May 24, 2022, Phoenix Police Officers stopped Jorge after reports of him entering an intersection and doing “donuts” with his vehicle. During their investigation, officers located an empty gun case, a loaded black handgun, and an unknown amount of ammunition. The vehicle was towed.

On May 25, 2022, Mesa Police Officers wrote and served a search warrant for access to Jorge’s vehicle. Two boxes of different brands of 9mm ammunition, a 22 round magazine containing two .40 caliber rounds, loose 9mm ammunition, and an empty Glock gun box were seized. 

On June 8, 2022, Jorge was arrested. He was booked into jail for the following charges and held on a $250,000 bond:

ARS 13-1209.A; Drive by Shooting, a class 2 felony

ARS 13-1211.A; Discharging a Firearm at an Occupied Structure, a class 2 felony

ARS 12-3102.A.4; Prohibited Possessor, a class 4 felony

Jorge de Jesus Rubio Mug Shot

GILA MONSTER RESCUED DURING DUI INVESTIGATION

On June 5, 2022, around 11:25 p.m., Mesa Police Officers responded to a convenient store parking lot in the 1100 block of S. Signal Butte for a male subject, later identified as 37-year-old Brandon Denney, sleeping behind the wheel of a running vehicle. The caller described Denney as “nodding off” and said he would mumble and shout. 

When officers arrived, they found Denney still sleeping with an orange pill bottle in his hand. Officers woke Denney up and saw that his eyes were red, and pupils constricted. Denney agreed to do field sobriety tests.

While completing the field sobriety tests, officers noticed a Gila Monster poking his head out of a box in Denney’s vehicle. Denney said he had run the Gila Monster over with his vehicle and decided to pick it up after seeing it was injured.  

Ultimately, Denney was taken into custody for driving under the influence. During an inventory search of his vehicle, officers found cocaine, methamphetamine, a fentanyl pill, and several items of drug paraphernalia.

Officers also discovered that Denney had three felony warrants for his arrest; two from California, both for Kidnapping with bonds of $1,050,000 and $300,000 and the third warrant was from Nevada for Attempted Grand Larceny of a Motor Vehicle for $50,000.

The Gila Monster was turned over to the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The AZGFD opened their own investigation and will be charging Denney appropriately (it is illegal to own or sell a Gila Monster in Arizona without a permit). Unlike Denney’s story, the Gila Monster did not appear to be run over and had no visible injuries.

Gila Monster

Brandon Denney

Memorial Day DUI Checkpoint Results

 

Memorial Day DUI Checkpoint Results

On Monday, May 30, 2022, after a 2-year break due to COVID, the Mesa Police Department hosted the Memorial Day DUI Checkpoint. The checkpoint was operated from 1 pm to 5 pm in the area of Power and Thomas Roads in Mesa.  A total of 10 police agencies, in collaboration with the Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety, from across the Valley participated including, Mesa PD, AZ DPS, Gilbert PD, Tempe PD, Scottsdale PD, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Apache Junction PD, ASU PD, Queen Creek PD, and the Arizona State Liquor Board.  Just over 1,400 vehicles came through the checkpoint, with 44 drivers being pulled for field sobriety testing.  A total of 22 DUI arrests were made during this 4-hour window.

Mesa Police Commander Chris Rash shared a reminder to the community, “The most important impact of this event is what cannot be quantified, the fatal and serious injury accidents that were averted and the subsequent pain and suffering that otherwise may have occurred had it not been for the efforts to get these 22 impaired drivers off the road.”

With that said the Mesa Police Department would like to express their sincere appreciation to the partnering police agencies that assisted with this event.  Without their assistance this event would not have been as successful as it was.

Mesa Police Arrest Three for Homicide

 

On March 20, 2022, 18-year-old Chase Lemons was shot and killed in his car in the area of 2200 S. Labelle in Mesa.  An adult male passenger in Lemons’ vehicle was also shot but survived his injuries.  At the time of the homicide a suspect was not able to be identified and there was very little physical evidence to work with at the crime scene.  Through tireless efforts, hard work, and creative investigative techniques, investigators were able to identify and arrest multiple suspects involved in this homicide on May 27, 2022.

During the investigation, multiple search warrants were served, and suspects interviewed. Officers learned that the suspects planned on robbing the victim during an illegal marijuana transaction.  The suspects approached the victim when he was sitting inside his car with an adult male passenger.  The victim attempted to flee the area in his car when one of the suspects opened fire, striking both Lemons and his passenger.  Lemons died several days later in the hospital and the passenger survived his injuries.

The three suspects involved were identified as 18-year-old Richard Mejia, 20-year-old Devon O’Rourke and 19- year-old Isaiah Enriquez.  Enriquez was identified as the shooter.

A firearm matching the caliber of the firearm used to murder Lemons was located and seized as well as cellphone data, which put Enriquez at the scene of the homicide.

This investigation is still on-going; however, probable cause was developed to arrest and book:

Isaiah Enriquez for 1 count First Degree Murder, 1 count Armed Robbery and 1 count Aggravated Assault

Richard Mejia for 1 count First Degree Murder and 1 count Armed Robbery

Devon O’Rourke for 1 count First Degree Murder and 1 count Armed Robbery

In Arizona, if a person’s death occurs in the course of, or in the immediate flight from, the commission of certain crimes, it is considered murder in the first degree.  Since Mejia and O’Rourke were knowingly involved in the robbery of Lemons, which led to his murder, they are also responsible for his death and were charged accordingly with the homicide. This is called the felony murder rule.

Isaiah Enriquez
$2,000,000 bond

Richard Mejia
$1,000,000 bond

 

Devon O'Rourke
$350,000 bond

Mesa Police Catch Thieves in the Act

 

ATM thieves arrested by police

Three men were arrested for a variety of felony charges after police catch them in the act of stealing an ATM machine. The three men were identified as 41-year-old Patrick Intintoli, 57-year-old Mark Bryant, and 53-year-old Brian Groce.

Over the course of the last few months, dating back to November of 2021, Mesa Police have had a series of burglaries where suspect(s) were using stolen construction equipment to forcibly remove ATMs or safes from businesses. The stolen ATMs and safes were removed and later found at different locations after they had been dumped. The stolen construction equipment used in the crimes was always left at the scene. Mesa Detectives were working on at least three cases that all had similar circumstances. In one of the cases, video showed a suspect wearing black and white gloves during the commission of the crime. A single black and white glove was recovered at the crime scene next to a stolen piece of construction equipment. The glove would be the lead that eventually cracked the case. The glove was collected and analyzed for DNA. The DNA profile matched a person in the system named Patrick Intintoli. Detectives were able to get a warrant that showed Intintoli’s phone at three crime scenes, two in Mesa and one in Tempe. Through their investigation, Detectives discovered that Intintoli had also been convicted in 2006 for stealing an ATM with a forklift from a bank.

On May 5^th, 2022, officers were watching Intintoli when they saw him, Bryant, and Groce leave an address in Mesa in two separate cars. Officers followed where they witnessed the three of them steal a trailer from a parking lot and hook it up to their vehicle. They then drove to a construction site where they stole a Caterpillar tractor. All three then drove to a credit union in Pinal County where they used the tractor to remove an ATM from the ground and place it into the stolen trailer. They left the stolen tractor at the scene and returned to an address in Mesa with the stolen trailer and ATM. Groce was observed leaving the house and going to a Home Depot where he bought a saw and high-end cutting blades. When he returned to the house, he was taken into custody along with Intintoli. Bryant was arrested and taken into custody at a nearby address. The stolen trailer and ATM were both recovered.

The hard work of all our Detectives and professional staff led to the arrest of these three men and got them off the street. Mesa Police Detectives are working with several other valley police agencies with similar crimes to determine if more charges could be forthcoming.

The Mesa Police Department would like to recognize everyone involved in these arrests that resulted in solving several criminal cases. It is through their relentless professional crime fighting efforts that these suspects were caught.

 

 

Patrick Intinoli

Brian Groce

Mark Bryant

Officer assists family in need

 

Officer assists family in need

On February 9th, 2022, Officer Rainey was on patrol and came across a woman, Shylah Porter, in her broken down vehicle with two of her young children inside. 

When Officer Rainey approached Mrs. Porter, she immediately began to cry and told Officer Rainey that her vehicle had broken down while she was driving on the freeway. Officer Rainey helped Mrs. Porter  move her vehicle to a safe location at a gas station nearby. She then transported Mrs. Porter and her two young children to their home.

After making sure that they were safe at home, Officer Rainey contacted an organization called  Angels on Patrol and placed a request to see if they could assist Mrs. Porter in any way. Angels on Patrol was able to assist Mrs. Porter and had her vehicle towed to a repair shop. 

The next day, the repair shop informed Angels on Patrol that the repairs had been completed on Mrs. Porter's vehicle and they had decided to charge only 50% of what the normal bill would be as a courtesy to Angels on Patrol and Mrs. Porter. Angels on Patrol then advised Officer Rainey of the repairs and said they would contact Mrs. Porter about returning her vehicle to her. Officer Rainey called the repair shop directly and paid for the repairs to the vehicle out of her own pocket. Officer Rainey expressed to Angels on Patrol that she was touched by her encounter with Mrs. Porter and she felt such empathy toward her situation that she felt it was the right thing to do.

 Angels on Patrol called Mrs. Porter and let her know her vehicle was repaired and that Officer Rainey had paid for the repairs herself. Mrs. Porter broke down in tears saying how touched she was by Officer Rainey and said that she saved her life with kindness and was forever grateful for her thoughtfulness and generosity.

Jeni Barrios, Program Coordinator of Angels On Patrol had this to say, "The mission of Angels on Patrol is to provide law enforcement officer-initiated support to community members in times of crisis. Officer Rainey’s actions and willingness to help in this situation reflect the true definition of selflessness and what it means to serve others. Officer Rainey felt a true calling to help someone and made it her mission to ensure she was safe."

Angels on Patrol recognized Officer Rainey as their February 2022 Angel of the Month and would like commended her for her service to the community. 

 Officer Rainey clearly went above and beyond her normal duties during this situation and showed how selfless and compassionate she is. Congratulations Officer Rainey on a job well done!!

Mesa Police arrest suspect in double fatal car crash

 News Release

 

Reckless Driver Driving Over 100MPH Kills Two in Fatal Vehicle Collision

Mesa, AZ – On March 22, 2022, the Mesa Police Department arrested and booked 21-year-old Gezane Izreal Cabanillas-Lape on two counts of 2nd Degree Murder and one count of Aggravated Assault for his involvement in a double fatal vehicle collision that occurred at Windsor and Main St. in Mesa at about 5:30pm on March 22, 2022.

On March 22, 2022, the Mesa Police Department responded to vehicle collision in the area of Windsor and Main St. in Mesa. Upon arrival it was discovered that two vehicles were involved, a 2009 Chrysler 300C and a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. Upon arrival of first responders the male passenger in the Chrysler Pacifica was not responsive. That individual, 82-year-old Ronald Hettich, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The female driver of the Pacifica, 80-year-old Irma Hettich, Ronald’s spouse, sustained serious injuries, was transported to a local hospital, and was later pronounced deceased.

The driver of the Chrysler 300C, 21-year-old Gezane Cabanillas-Lape and the 21-year-old female passenger were also transported to a local hospital. Cabanillas-Lape had no serious injuries, but the female passenger suffered possible internal injuries.

The investigation revealed that the Hettich’s were travelling north on Windsor crossing over Main St. when Cabanillas-Lape who was travelling westbound on Main St. at a high rate of speed colliding with the passenger side of Hettich’s vehicle. It was determined Cabanillas-Lape was travelling in an excess of 100MPH on a roadway with a speed limit of 45MPH at the time of the collision. Cabanillas-Lape was evaluated, and no signs of alcohol or drug impairment were discovered.

The investigation revealed the primary cause of the collision was the reckless high rate of speed of Cabanillas-Lape. Based on the speed factor causing the deaths of Ronald and Irma Hettich and the injuries sustained by the female passenger in the Chrysler 300C Cabanillas-Lape was arrested and booked into the Mesa City Holding Facility on two counts of 2nd degree murder and one count of Aggravated Assault.