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

Mesa Police Make Two Huge Drug Busts- On Same Day

On November 9, 2022, the Mesa Police Department’s Street Crimes Units made two huge drug busts, seizing various illegal drugs such as Fentanyl pills and powder, Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Cocaine. The two cases were unrelated to each other, but each provided large amounts of illegal drugs and drug related items.

In the first case, Fiesta and Red Mountain Street Crimes Units arrested 42-year-old Raymond Rivera Carbrera and seized the following:

Approximately 28, 500 Fentanyl pills

Approximately 7.5 ounces of Methamphetamine

Approximately 2 grams of Cocaine

$3, 183 in US Currency

1 Kel-Tec 9mm handgun with magazines and boxes of ammunition

Raymond Rivera Cabrera
$150,750 bond

The second case was one of the largest Fentanyl Pill drug bust in the Mesa Police Department and was made by Central and Super Street Crimes Units. They arrested three people, 36-year-old Jesus Rojas Romero, 20-year-old Alex Ruiz, and 22-year-old Christian Valles Castro. The following items were seized (an estimated street value of over $4.4 million dollars):  

714, 300 Fentanyl pills

3.5 lbs. Fentanyl powder

6 lbs. of Methamphetamine

3.6 lbs. Heroin

2 lbs. Cocaine

$17, 039 in US currency

Largest Drug Bust in Mesa PD history

Drugs put into evidence before taking the above photo

Alex Ruiz
 $750,000 bond

Jesus Rojas-Romero
$10,000 bond

Christian Valles Castro
$10,000 bond

Both of these cases were worked with help from Mesa SWAT and the Organized Crime Section of the Mesa Police Department. Officers gathered intelligence and conducted surveillance, which ultimately led them to write and serve search warrants, granting them access to remove these illegal drugs and related items off of the streets.

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

Arrest Made in Double Homicide

 

Mesa Police Make an Arrest in Double Homicide

Mesa, AZ – (November 10^th, 2022, 11:00am) Mesa Police have arrested 44-year-old Johnel Trinidad for the double homicide that occurred on 11/01/2022 at 124 N 67^th Street in Mesa.

On 11/01/2022 at around 11:15pm, Mesa Police received several calls about shots being fired at 124 N 67^th Street in Mesa. When officers arrived, they found the victims Ronnie Lazalde and his wife Natishia Lazalde under a stairwell outside of an apartment. Both Ronnie and Natishia had suffered gunshot wounds. Ronnie was pronounced deceased at the scene and Natishia was transported to the hospital where she died at around 1:20am.

Detectives determined through their investigation that Natishia was with Johnel in an apartment when Natishia’s son came over for a visit. Johnel and the son got into a verbal argument and all three of them walked outside where Ronnie joined in the argument. As the argument continued, Johnel pulled a weapon and fired at Ronnie and the son. The son then pulled his own gun and fired at Johnel while he was running away. When the shooting stopped, Ronnie and Natishia had both suffered what turned out to be fatal wounds and Johnel was shot in the leg. Johnel was transported to the hospital where he was treated for his wound and later released into police custody.

Through interviews, investigative techniques and forensic evidence recovered at the scene, Detectives found probable cause to charge Johnel Trinidad with two counts of Manslaughter (C2 felonies) for the deaths of Ronnie and Natishia, and one count of prohibited possessor (Class 4 felony). Johnel was booked into jail for the above listed charges.

Mesa Man Arrested for Murder

On November 6, 2022, around 6:10 a.m., Mesa Police Officers responded to 7520 E. Billings in response to a 911 caller saying they found their friend dead. When officers arrived, they located the body of 36-year-old Deangelo Tye lying in the outside landscaping. Officers saw drag marks in the landscaping that lead to a blood trail, which they followed to an upstairs apartment. 

At least two people reported to officers that they heard shots fired in the complex around 3:00 a.m. During the investigation, officers located a personal surveillance camera, which captured Deangelo and 30-year-old Michael Binion-Jones, walking to an upstairs apartment. Ten minutes later, the camera captured a lifeless Deangelo being dragged down the stairs and out of view by Binion-Jones. 

Michael Binion-Jones was located and taken into custody on November 7, 2022, in Tempe. He was booked into jail for the following charges and held on a $1,000,000 bond: 

ARS 13-1104.A3; Second Degree Murder, a class one felony.

Michael Binion-Jones Mug Shot

Gym Locker Burglary Suspect Arrested

Between September 28, 2022, and October 28, 2022, Mesa Police Officers investigated a series of gym locker burglaries at two different EōS Fitness locations in Mesa. The suspect used credit cards stolen from the burglaries at various locations between Mesa and Tempe. 

Officers used video surveillance obtained from businesses where the suspect used the stolen credit cards and compared it to surveillance video provided from EōS Fitness to link six locker burglaries to eleven credit card thefts and eight fraudulent uses. This also helped in identifying the suspect, who was an EōS Fitness member. 

One victim encountered the suspect in the locker room prior to his locker being burglarized and was able to positively identify the man to police. 

On October 28, 2022, Mesa Police Officers located and arrested 39-year-old Gregory Freeman in Tempe. Freeman was booked into jail and held on a $2600 bond for the following charges: 

ARS 13-1506A1; 3rd Degree Burglary (6 counts), a class 4 felony 

ARS 13-2102A1; Theft of a Credit Card (11 counts), a class 5 felony 

ARS 13-2105A1; Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card (8 counts), a class 1 misdemeanor

Gregory Freeman Mug Shot

Superstition Springs Mall Homicide

On October 24, 2022, just before 2:00 p.m., Mesa Police Officers responded to the entrance of Superstition Springs Mall, located at 1342 S. Power, for a reported shooting. Initial call comments stated a woman was shot by a bullet that came through the front car windshield. 

When officers arrived, they observed evidence indicating that a gun had been fired from inside the vehicle the victim was riding in.  

Officers questioned the 16-year-old boy and learned that the boy was “playing” with a handgun in the back seat of the vehicle, when he pulled the trigger accidentally. The bullet went through the back of the front passenger seat and struck 20-year-old Elena Hernandez. 

Elena was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. 

The 16-year-old boy was booked into Durango Juvenile Detention Center for the following charges: 

ARS 13-1103A1; Manslaughter, a class 2 felony

ARS 13-3111A; Minor in Possession of a Firearm, a class 6 felony

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

ARS 3107A; Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm, a class 6 felony

Superstition Springs Mall Scene Photo

$285,000 Worth of Drugs Seized- Two Arrested

After six months of investigation, the Mesa Police Department arrested two men for various felony charges related to illegal drugs and distribution. Both men, 31-year-old Casey Thornton and 29-year-old Davonte Williams, used the Green Trail Smoke Shop in Mesa as a front to their crimes. 

With the help of the East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Mesa Police Department’s Organized Crime Section- Narcotic Unit was able to gather enough evidence through undercover operations and surveillance tactics to arrest both Thornton and Williams. 

At the conclusion of this investigation, officers seized 19 handguns, four rifles, and $285,000 worth of illegal drugs of the following type and amounts (all weights and measures are approximate): 

Methamphetamine: 91.62 grams

Fentanyl: 24,937.6 pills

Cocaine: 74.6 grams

Morphine: 5 syringes- liquid

Marijuana: 61 pounds

Marijuana gummies: 125.5 grams

Cartridges: 600+ vape pen cartridges with THC

Miscellaneous Prescriptions: 20.1 gram pills

Casey Thornton was booked into jail for the following charges and was held on a $100,000 bond.
 

Casey Thornton Mug Shot

ARS 13-3408A7: Transport or Sale of Narcotic Drugs, a class 2 felony (9 counts)
ARS 13-3408A2: Possession of Narcotic Drugs for Sale, a class 2 felony (9 counts)
ARS 13-3408A1: Possession of Narcotic Drugs, a class 4 felony (9 counts)
ARS 13-3411A1: Possession use/ sale in a Drug Free School Zone, a class 2 felony (8 counts)
ARS 3415A: Drug Paraphernalia, a class 6 felony (9 counts)
ARS 3405A2: Possession of Marijuana for Sale, a class 4 felony (2 counts)
ARS 2317B1: Money Laundering, a class 3 felony
ARS-2312A: Illegal Control of an Enterprise, a class 3 felony
ARS 13-1003: Conspiracy to Commit (all of the above offenses), a class 2 felony
ARS 13-3102A8: Possessing a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of any Felony, a class 4 felony
ARS 3102A3: Possessing a Prohibited Weapon, a class 4 felony

Davonte Williams was booked into jail for the following charges and held on a $25,000 bond:

Davonte Williams Mug Shot

ARS 13-3408A7: Transport or Sale of Narcotic Drugs, a class 2 felony (3 counts)
ARS 13-3408A2: Possession of Narcotic Drugs for Sale, a class 2 felony (3 counts)
ARS 13-3408A1: Possession of Narcotic Drugs, a class 4 felony (3 counts)
ARS 13-3411A1: Possession use/ sale in a Drug Free School Zone, a class 2 felony (2 counts)
ARS 2317B1: Money Laundering, a class 3 felony
ARS-2312B: Illegally Conducting an Enterprise, a class 3 felony
ARS 13-1003: Conspiracy to Commit (all of the above offenses), a class 2 felony
ARS 3415A: Drug Paraphernalia, a class 6 felony (3 counts)
ARS 13-3102A8: Possessing a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of any Felony, a class 4 felony

Mesa Offers Lifetime Medical Benefits to All Eligible City Employees

Mesa Offers Lifetime Medical Benefits to All Eligible City Employees 

 Mesa, AZ – Mesa is offering lifetime medical benefits for all eligible full-time employees, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Access to lifetime medical insurance coverage adds to Mesa's already competitive salaries and benefits package, allowing the City to recruit and retain talented employees who want to build a career in the public sector.

 "The Mesa Way has always been to take care of our employees by offering competitive salaries and benefits so they can take care of themselves and their families," said Mesa City Manager Chris Brady. "Bringing back the lifetime health benefits is an extension of our focus on the health and wellness of our employees. It starts with free primary and pediatric care at our employee Mesa Health and Wellness Center and continues with medical coverage once our employees have retired from Mesa." 

 Lifetime benefits are not new to Mesa. The City provided this benefit to eligible employees before Jan. 1, 2009, when the City had to cut $62 million from the General Fund, eliminating lifetime benefits for new hires. Today's announcement ensures everyone hired since can receive lifetime medical coverage after completing 20 years of service with the City, with at least ten consecutive years of employment with the City immediately before retirement. Additionally, employees must be retired from the City of Mesa to be eligible for post-retirement health insurance. 

 "The Valley is experiencing a very competitive job market," added Mr. Brady. "We aim to recruit individuals committed to public service and reward those who have dedicated their professional careers to serving Mesa residents and businesses." 

 As with current employees, the City covers 80% of eligible retirees' insurance premiums for medical, dental and vision coverage. Mesa currently has more than 2,200 retirees receiving retirement medical benefits. Approximately 70% of Mesa's nearly 3,900 full-time employees have been hired since Jan. 1, 2009, and could be eligible for retirement medical benefits starting in 2029.