A crime spree over the weekend of Jan. 15 and 16 resulted in thousands of dollars of damage and the arrest of five juvenile suspects.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, six juveniles made their way by automobile through the Cottonwood and Clarkdale areas, slashing the tires of at least 28 vehicles — the majority in Clarkdale — and engaging in various other activities, including burglary at Verde Lea Market.
According to Clarkdale Police Department Sgt. Nicole Florisi, numerous residents in Cottonwood and Clarkdale made calls to dispatch at the Cottonwood Police Department and Clarkdale Police Department.
“Some victims had multiple vehicles damaged,” Florisi stated. “The suspects took numerous items in the car burglaries such as purses, cell phones, keys and stereos …. Based on the investigation so far, the damage may be thousands of dollars. Some of the damage may not have yet been discovered by victims.”
Cottonwood Detective Sgt. Tod Moore stated that several encounters were caught on “video surveillance or witnessed by victims,” allowing Cottonwood officers to locate the suspect vehicle and the juveniles involved.
“During interviews with the suspects, Cottonwood and Clarkdale officers were able to identify and arrest five of the six juveniles,” Moore added. “It was further discovered during the interviews that a small dirt bike type motorcycle was also taken during the night and was subsequently recovered and returned to the owners.”
According to Moore, other than the dirt bike the juveniles stole a total of $11, which was used to buy food at Sonic and candy elsewhere.
The five juveniles arrested have been transported to the Yavapai County Juvenile Detention Center in Prescott, all are being charged with numerous felony charges. Because they are minors, their names have not been released.
Florisi announced via press release Jan. 23 that the sixth juvenile has been taken into custody and charged.
“At this time, we are still gathering all the details as to the amount of damage caused by the slashed tires and identify all the victims,” Moore stated.
According to Florisi, the damage and stolen items amount to approximately $5,000.
If you believe yourself to have been a victim of a crime related to these incidents, contact Cottonwood police at 634-4246 or Clarkdale police at 649-7700.
