by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 9, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Members of Arizona’s Republican delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives were key to a border-related bill passing their chamber.
In one of the first legislative actions of the 119th Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 29, the Laken Riley Act, which was introduced by U.S. Congressman Mike Collins from Georgia. All members of Arizona’s Republican delegation voted in favor of the bill, as did one Democrat, U.S. Representative Greg Stanton.
According to its congressional summary, H.R. 29, if enacted would “require the Department of Homeland Security to detain certain non-U.S. nationals who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.”
One of Arizona’s Republicans who voted for the legislation, U.S. Congressman Eli Crane, said, “I’m pleased to report that the Laken Riley Act passed out of the House of Representatives. This bill will protect our communities and give our law enforcement agencies the resources they need to prevent avoidable tragedies. It’s appalling that 159 Democrats sided with criminal aliens by voting against this commonsense measure. Despite their senseless opposition, I’m glad we were once again able to get this bill across the finish line. I appreciate Rep. Mike Collins for his leadership, and I look forward to its swift passage in the U.S. Senate before heading to President Trump’s desk.”
Crane’s press release highlighted that this bill “directly addresses one of the federal policy failures related to Laken Riley’s murder. Her murderer, Jose Ibarra, is an illegal alien who had been previously cited for shoplifting by the Athens Policy Department. If local law enforcement had called ICE, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken would be alive.”
U.S. Congressman Abraham Hamadeh added, “While we cannot possibly remediate the pain caused at the hands of violent illegal immigrants, we must do all we are able to do to stop illegal immigrant crime before it begins and save future American lives. This should be a unanimous and non-partisan issue. I’m grateful for my colleagues who see this as such.”
U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani wrote, “Securing the southern border and protecting our citizens is a top priority in the 119th Congress! I voted for & cosponsor HR 29, the Laken Riley Act, to honor her memory and ensure bad actors here illegally are detained to prevent innocent lives from being lost to the crisis.”
The bill was named after a young woman at a Georgia nursing school who was horrifically and tragically murdered by an illegal immigrant in the United States. Late last year, the murderer was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole. After the conclusion of the trial, President-elect Donald J. Trump said, “JUSTICE FOR LAKEN RILEY! The Illegal who killed our beloved Laken Riley was just found GUILTY on all counts for his horrific crimes. Although the pain and heartbreak will last forever, hopefully this can help bring some peace and closure to her wonderful family who fought for Justice, and to ensure that other families don’t have to go through what they have. We love you, Laken, and our hearts will always be with you. It is time to secure our Border, and remove these criminals and thugs from our Country, so nothing like this can happen again!”
The Laken Riley Act now heads to the U.S. Senate, where it will need all Republicans and at least seven Democrats to support its passage in order to send it to the president’s desk for his signature. U.S. Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat, co-sponsored the measure, saying, “Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people. No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence. Immigration is what makes our country great. I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system.”
Allyson and John Phillips, Riley’s mother and stepfather, spoke out in support of the bill as it proceeded through the congressional process. They said, “The Laken Riley Act has our full support because it would help save innocent lives and prevent more families from going through the kind of heartbreak we’ve experienced. Laken would have been 23 on January 10th. There is no greater gift that could be given to her and our country than to continue her legacy by saving lives through this bill. Every single member of Congress should be able to get behind this purely commonsense bill that will make our country and communities safer. We thank Congressman Mike Collins, Senator Katie Britt, and Senator Ted Budd for continuing to work to honor Laken’s legacy and get this legislation enacted into law.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 9, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In a Monday press release, Arizona State Representative Lupe Diaz announced that he and his fellow House Republicans will honor the dedication and sacrifice of law enforcement officers across the state and nation on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, January 9th. Diaz and the House GOP are inviting all Arizonans to join them.
In the release Diaz said, “In a time when some mismanaged cities and misguided politicians are still pushing to defund law enforcement, Arizona House Republicans stand firmly and proudly with our law enforcement professionals.”
“We deeply appreciate – and will continue to support – the brave men and women who work to protect our families and maintain public safety in our communities.”
The release explained that on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day the legislators are leading an effort to bring forth a visible and tangible expression of Arizona’s support for its Law Enforcement Community with the public encouraged to “show their support by thanking an officer, wearing blue, or sharing messages of appreciation on social media using the #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay hashtag.”
As reported by The Officer Down Memorial Page, four Law Enforcement Officers lost their lives in the line of duty in 2024:
- Officer Zane Tristan Coolidge, 29, of the Phoenix Police Department was shot and killed by a fleeing felon with multiple convictions on September 6th
- Detective Ryan So, 38, of the Scottsdale Police Department lost his life in a tragic accidental discharge on June 13th
- Gila River Tribal Police Officer Joshua Briese, 24, was shot and killed responding to a disturbance call on June 1st. He was still in field training.
- Tucson Police Lead Officer Adam Buckner, 31, was struck and killed in a vehicle collision while responding to a call for service on March 31st.
Through the Arizona State Troopers Association (ASTA), those wishing to show their support can also purchase post cards for officers they wish to thank and appreciate. On the organization’s website, the ASTA says, “Hands down the biggest compliment you can give is to let the officer’s supervisor know that you appreciated whatever the officer did. (The best way is a written note to the chief executive). Why? Because police officers rarely are ever thanked or told that they did a great job.”
The State Troopers Association also recommended penning a letter to the editor of your local newspaper thanking officers for their community dedication and/or putting together a treat of cookies or a dozen doughnuts from your local bakery and leaving them with the department with a thank you card.
Representative Diaz represents the 19th Legislative District and chairs the House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee.
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 |
Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) has been sworn in along with his fellow freshmen members of the U.S. House of Representatives. But before even taking the oath of office, Hamadeh garnered recognition as one of the “rising stars” in American policitcs “expected to emerge in 2025.”
In a report released on the last day of 2024, Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller pronounced Hamadeh as a rising star alongside fellow Republicans Vice President-elect JD Vance, Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio, and Vivek Ramaswamy. He also gave the same recogniation to Democrats like Governors Gavin Newsom of California, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and Wes Moore of Maryland, along with Rep. Pat Ryan of New York and Senator Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland.
Hamadeh, a 33-year-old son of Syrian immigrants, retired Army Reserve Captain & Intelligence Officer, and former Maricopa County Prosecutor enjoyed a massive resurgence in Arizona politics after a razor thin-280 vote defeat in the 2022 race for state Attorney General, a result mired in controversy and serious allegations of disenfranchisement and mismanagement.
He arose victorious in a raucous 8-way primary challenge for the District 8 Congressional seat that saw an unprecedented double-endorsement by President-elect Donald Trump, who supported both Hamadeh and runner-up Blake Masters.
In the end, Hamadeh outperformed the rest of the AZGOP candidates on his way to soundly defeating his Democrat opponent Gregory Whitten in the November General Election.
In a statement about his powerful committee assignments, Hamadeh told Fox News Digital, “I am honored to serve on the Veterans Affairs and Armed Services Committees—two assignments I intentionally sought because our veterans and military deserve leaders who will fight for them. Putting America first starts with defending our homeland and honoring our veterans and their families.”
“Throughout my campaign, I made a promise to bring veterans’ issues to the forefront of our national priorities, and today, I am proud to fulfill that promise,” he added. “This is a ‘promises made, promises kept’ moment as I lead the charge to honor our military leaders, support those who have served our nation, and ensure our veterans receive the care and respect they’ve earned. Serving those who served us is not just my duty—it’s a privilege.”
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 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.