by Matthew Holloway | Jan 8, 2025 | News
By Matthew Hollway |
Wide swaths of Tucson city streets are cloaked in darkness on a nightly basis as city officials have struggled to grapple with a massive spike in copper theft. As many as 1,000 city streetlights have been disabled and stripped, leaving local roadways dark. Tucson officials told the Arizona Daily Star that the thieves have been stripping out the copper from the streetlights faster than maintenance crews can replace it. The cost to the taxpayer has spiraled to approximately $1.3 million in replacement wire and infrastructure repair.
Last month, KVOA reported that a neighborhood near the intersection of Fort Lowell and Romero roads was primarily lit by residents’ Christmas lights. The outlet reports that over 400,000 feet of wire has been stolen.
In a statement to the network, the City of Tucson said, “[T]hieves are stealing the wire faster than staff can replace it. [T]hese thefts have overwhelmed staff’s capacity to make repairs. Staff is working as efficiently as possible to keep up with all the outages.”
The wire, coveted by thieves, can be sold and recycled, yielding about $2.30 per pound in the southern area of Arizona. The Arizona Daily Star reported that, per Tucson PD, the stolen wire is difficult to track, owing to a lack of identifying markings on the malleable copper. Although scrap merchants are required to document the identities of those they purchase copper from, this is of limited assistance when the individual stolen items cannot be tracked.
City officials with the Department of Transportation and Mobility told reporters that the issue is exacerbated by staffing shortages impacting the city and have led to a six-month backlog on repair orders. As a result, a triage system is now in use prioritizing pedestrian crosswalks, as well as higher speed and higher traffic volume roadways.
In an October post to X, the Department warned would-be thieves, “Stealing copper wire is not only illegal, it’s extremely dangerous! Copper theft can lead to severe injuries, power outages, and even loss of life. Think twice before putting yourself & others at risk. Report suspicious activity to authorities immediately. Stay safe, stay smart!”
The city told KVOA that it is bringing about new security measures in an attempt to prevent future thefts but declined to provide details. They did tell reporters that they are working closely with the Tucson Police Department.
Tucson Vice Mayor Kevin Dahl told the Arizona Daily Star, that the city has brought in contractors to aid city workers in identifying, locating, and repairing the disabled lights in a costly operation not accounted for in the city’s budget.
“We have to do it, but some other program will suffer because of that,” Dahl explained. “The money (to fix this) doesn’t come out of nowhere. There’s no special grants for this.”
Addressing the new security efforts he added, “We are trying innovative techniques to foil continued theft, and while some have been circumvented, we hope that some will ultimately prove successful.”
Dahl told reporters that although residents cannot repair the damaged lights themselves, security camera footage and tips from witnesses have contributed to successful arrests and felony charges. “Getting the culprits arrested is the best prevention,” Dahl said. “Help be our eyes in your neighborhoods. If you see this happening, 911 is a real quick call to make … if we knock off 10-20% of the bad guys, that’s a lot off our work load.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 8, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Gilbert Town Council handed down a harsh wake up call to the Gilbert Police Department (GPD) in late December. In a meeting, the town denied a request by the GPD to be exempted from a municipal code which levies a fine against building owners if a business or organization has three or more false alarms in a given calendar year. Essentially, the town has told the department that it will have to continue to fine itself.
According to the East Valley Tribune, Assistant Police Chief Michael Angstead told the council that the department currently fines itself and cuts the city a check. “Currently, as an example, we have an alarm on our property and evidence building,” Angstead told councilmembers. “And it’ll go off from time to time because rabbits will get out into the open part of the facility, where we can’t have people running around because there’s evidence outside.” An officer is reportedly dispatched to check each alarm.
In the text of the meeting’s agenda item, Chief of Police Michael Soelberg wrote, “As an example: currently, if the Gilbert Police Department’s Property and Evidence building has an alarm—false or otherwise—the Gilbert Police Department is dispatched to investigate. If the Gilbert Police Department’s officers determine the alarm was false, and there have been three or more false alarms within a calendar year, the Town of Gilbert shall charge the Gilbert Police Department for sending Gilbert Police Department’s officers to respond to a Gilbert Police Department building’s alarm. This amendment will help the Town avoid expending the resources to fine itself, and other government agencies, for the response to false alarms, but notifications will still be made to encourage remedies to the false alarms.”
According to the False Alarm Assessment Schedule provided in the proposal, the fine starts at $50 after the third alarm and increases by $50 with each subsequent alarm up to the tenth, capping at $400 per alarm for all subsequent alarms.
The department’s requested amendment wasn’t limited to its own buildings but also included town-owned buildings as well as county, state, and federal properties. However, the council still turned it down.
Councilwoman Kathy Tilque, who did not seek re-election in 2024, opposed the department’s request. As reported by the Tribune, she explained, “I always believe that if we pass a law to regulate and fine businesses, we should hold ourselves accountable to the same standard,” she said.
“While I understand it seems redundant to process fines within internal departments, the bigger issue is, why do we have this law in place to begin with?”
“I’m prepared to let this die right here,” she said, pushing back against exempting county, state, and federal buildings as well.
Fellow Councilman Chuck Bongiovanni concurred with Tilque and agreed that if the town’s residents and businesses must comply with the statute, the town should be held to the same standard.
The measure was denied unanimously.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 7, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The man confirmed to be the driver of the Tesla Cybertruck, which exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on Wednesday, was revealed to have been born in Arizona. U.S. Army Green Beret, Master Sergeant Matthew Livelsberger, traveled through the state en route from his home in Colorado Springs to Las Vegas in a Las Vegas Metro Police Department press briefing.
During the 24-minute press conference on Thursday, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Sheriff Kevin McMahill shared that the identity of the man in the truck has not been confirmed, but authorities are highly confident in the identification of Livelsberger. They remain confident based on military identification, a passport, and credit cards recovered from the vehicle, as well as human remains with partially visible tattoos. Arizona was confirmed as the subject’s birthplace by his passport.
In a post to X, the LVMPD summarized the briefing writing, “Yesterday, January 1, 2025, at approximately a.m., LVMPD responded to a vehicle explosion involving a Tesla Cyber Truck at a hotel property on Fashion Show Drive. One person was found deceased in the vehicle, and seven others sustained minor injuries.
Key updates from the investigation:
- The deceased is believed to be Matthew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old active-duty U.S. Army Green Beret. 100% DNA confirmation is pending.
- Detectives tracked Livelsberger’s movements across multiple states leading to Las Vegas.
- Livelsberger died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound before the explosion occurred.
- Evidence recovered from the vehicle includes firearms, fireworks, gas canisters, and other items.
This is a joint investigation with federal partners, and detectives are working diligently to uncover the motive and any further details.”
WATCH:
The LVMPD later posted to X confirming the man’s identity as Livelsberger per the Clark County Coroner.
Police have determined that the subject in the vehicle died prior to the explosion from a self-inflicted “intraoral gun shot wound” likely inflicted by the .50 caliber Desert Eagle handgun recovered from the vehicle along with an SLR model B30 semi-automatic rifle. The Cybertruck could be seen on video pulling up to the hotel’s valet and exploding 17 seconds later. Seven bystanders were injured.
Summarizing the state of the investigation into the bombing, McMahill shared with reporters that not only was Livelsberger born in Arizona, but he also traveled through the northern portion of the state, determined by tracking the Cybertruck through charging stations in cities including Holbrook, Flagstaff, and Kingman in the hours leading up to the explosion on the Vegas strip.
McMahill explained that the rear of the Cybertruck contained, “gasoline canisters, camp fuel canisters and large firework mortars.”
Jeremy Schwartz, acting special agent in charge with the Las Vegas Field Office, told reporters, “We believe this is an isolated incident. We do not believe that there is a bunch of folks out there supporting this or helping this and we don’t believe that there’s any other danger to the community right now,” according to ABC15.
Livelsberger’s Uncle, Dean Livelsberger, told The Independent that he was baffled by reports that his nephew was involved in the explosion. He told the outlet, “He used to have all patriotic stuff on Facebook, he was 100 percent loving the country.” He continued, “He loved Trump, and he was always a very, very patriotic soldier, a patriotic American. It’s one of the reasons he was in Special Forces for so many years. It wasn’t just one tour of duty.”
Dean, himself an Air Force veteran, also expressed confusion at the lack of sophistication in the explosives used. “Matt was a very skilled warrior, and he would be able to make — if it was him, and if he did this — he would’ve been able to make a more sophisticated explosive than using propane tanks and camping fuel. He was what you might call a ‘supersoldier.’ If you ever read about the things he was awarded, and the experience he had, some of it doesn’t make sense, when he had the skills and ability to make something more, let’s say, ‘efficient.’ His skills were enormous from what he had been taught in the military.”
He suggested that, given his nephew’s skill set, he “could have fashioned a bomb that would have obliterated half of that hotel if he seriously wanted to hurt others.”
“Think of Oklahoma City,” he added. “McVeigh was just a normal soldier. Not a Tier 1 operator like Matt.”
Sheriff Livelsberger also averred from calling the explosion a “suicide mission,” and instead described it as “a suicide with a bombing that occurred immediately thereafter.”
Kenny Cooper, assistant special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms’ San Francisco Division noted similarly, “The level of sophistication is not what we would expect from an individual with this type of military experience.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 7, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan has taken his oath and is geared up to begin his term after 40 years of moving up in the ranks. In an interview with FOX 10’s Brian Webb, Sheridan set out his agenda for leading the law enforcement agency responsible for protecting the fourth most-populist county in the nation.
“I wore that uniform for 40 years, said deputy sheriff on it, and now my patch says sheriff,” Sheridan told Webb. “I don’t think the reality has kicked in.”
On Jan. 2nd, just under 48 hours into his new role, Sheridan sat for the interview and set out his top priorities. The first crisis he intends to tackle is homelessness. “I’ve reached out to some of the [Non-Governmental Organizations] that help with some of the missions, and I’ve already had discussions with them about what we can do to help you get people off the street,” he told Fox10.
Sheridan will also be placing a huge emphasis on collaborating with the second Trump administration on immigration enforcement in a return to the path blazed by former Sheriff Joe Arpaio. “I will focus on arresting criminals now,” he told Webb. “Whether they’re illegal aliens or not, doesn’t matter to me.”
In a post to X he wrote, “Spent my first 9 hours as Sheriff with the people that keep us all safe; our detention officers, deputies & 911 operators. I am so proud of the work they do & to be their Sheriff.”
At the outset though, there are some internal matters that Sheridan will need to address, such as resurrecting the county’s volunteer posse system, which was placed under review by Sheriff Penzone in 2017 and criticized by several media outlets for its long-time association with Sheriff Arpaio. Sheridan also told the outlet he will be directing a lot of his attention to ramping up staffing in the agency which employs about 3,500 personnel out of an allotted 4,000, according to the agency’s website. Per ABC15 reporting from September, the department is currently shorthanded by about 800 detention officers.
Sheridan also took time to push back on media criticisms for his membership in the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA). To which he responded, “Don’t forget, I took an oath to support the Constitution of United States and the constitution in laws of the State of Arizona, and I will be faithful to that oath.”
Sheridan shared video of his sign on in a brief broadcast to the department in the opening minutes of 2025. “It’s an honor to be your new sheriff,” Sheridan said. “It’s an honor and pleasure to work with everybody because I know you act with integrity.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 6, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Mark Lamb signed off ceremonially for the last time as Pinal County Sheriff shortly after midnight on New Years’ Day, ending an eight-year tenure as the top elected law-enforcement official of the county.
In a post to X, accompanying video of his broadcast to the department, Lamb announced that his career in law-enforcement has come to an end. He wrote, “It’s impossible to sum up in one post how I feel tonight! I knew this day would eventually come, but it still doesn’t make it easy. I have loved this career! Thank you does not even begin to justify my gratitude to my family, my command staff, all of the sheriff’s office employees, all of my fellow law enforcement and to my community. This has truly been one of the greatest honors of my life, especially the last eight years as Sheriff of Pinal County. Not only is 2024 coming to an end tonight, my career (in) Law Enforcement has come to an end as well. We gave it a good run! God Bless and Happy New Year!”
Lamb opened his transmission identifying himself by the Sheriff’s callsign ‘Pinal One,’ and offered his emotional thanks to county dispatchers, deputies, corrections officers, employees, posses, COPs and his command staff. He closed his remarks by asking dispatch to show him as the police-standard ‘ten-code’ of 10-7 “Out of service,” which typically signifies the end of an officer’s watch or shift, for the final time.
Former gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson thanked Lamb and congratulated him in a statement posted to X, “Arizonans are safer for the work and dedication Sheriff Lamb has put in to defend our communities the last 8 years. In addition to all of the work he’s done, he’s been one of the top advocates in the country for dealing with the problems on our border and been a strong advocate for border security. Thank you, @sherifflamb1, for everything you have done and do on behalf of the people of Arizona!”
In a Dec. 17th interview with KTAR’s Mike Broomhead, Lamb dismissed any further political office in his future following his primary election defeat to Kari Lake. “Politics in my future? It’s not a high probability.” He added, “But I am going to stay involved in the border.”
He told Broomhead that he’s currently working with the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR): “I’m gonna stay very active on [the] border and continue to tell people what’s going on there.”
The former Sheriff told KTAR in a statement that he’s hoping to assist the incoming Trump administration in its ongoing efforts to improve border security.
“As this administration begins to form itself out, and they start getting to work and starting to secure our border, holding people accountable who broke the law, I think that there will be some space there to at least consult, or help or sit on some boards or something that has to do with helping these policies,” Lamb said.
He told the outlet that he’s also willing to bring policy suggestions to Congress and work with them to pass more effective laws to address illegal immigration.
“I hope to be of some assistance as we try to fix this border crisis that this administration has created — or really, thrown gas on — over the last four years,” Lamb concluded. “I’m gonna stay in that law enforcement space, mental health space and border security.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
