By Roger Lanse
A call came into the Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, at 5:31 p.m. in reference to a breaking and entering/home invasion at 11805 Highway 180 East in Arenas Valley. Deputies were advised by dispatch that the caller had stated subjects were in his residence and in the attic, and caller was on the roof with a shotgun to defend himself.
According to a Grant County Sheriff’s Office offense report, when deputies arrived they saw a male on the roof of a residence and the front door open and all lights off. While deputies took positions in front and rear of the dwelling, the male got off the roof using a ladder. The male was uncooperative stating “(1) I tried shooting them through my roof, (2) they were wearing body armor so my .22 cal was not doing anything, (3) I was going to get my shotgun to shoot them because it would knock them down, (4) they are inside my residence, and (5) let me go inside.”
The male was patted down by deputies who discovered a small .380 semi-automatic handgun on his person. At that time, the report said, the male was placed in investigative detention and placed in the back seat of a patrol unit, as the male had become agitated. Deputies then made their way into the residence and in the living room located a loaded rifle and several spent cartridge cases. In the kitchen ceiling deputies observed bullet-sized holes both patched and unpatched. No subjects were located either in or around the home nor was there any evidence of others being around. The weapons were removed from the residence and secured at GCSO.
At this point, the report stated, the male refused to speak with deputies about the individuals he claimed had invaded his residence. Deputies determined that the male was a danger to himself and/or to others, was placed into protective custody, and transported to Gila Regional Medical Center for a mental evaluation. Once it was determined by GRMC staff to put a hold on the male, deputies released him to the care of hospital staff.
At 8:41 p.m., the male’s sister contacted deputies who explained to her what had happened to her brother. She stated the following, the report said: “It was a matter of time/I have been trying to find him help for his mental illness but can’t do much being out of state/he suffers from schizophrenia and several other illnesses/several members of our family suffer from it too/my mom lives with me and suffers from it claiming people are in our home when they are not actually there/I do not know what to do/I hope the hospital holds him or places him in a facility to get the help he needs.”
Deputies explained to the sister the process for any person placed in protective custody and that each agency and facility has guidelines and policy to abide by. The sister stated, according to the report, that her brother is a nice guy, but his mental illness scares her that he will hurt someone.