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The event comes at a time when severe domestic violence in Mesa is increasing at an alarming pace. In 2019, there were 119 aggravated assaults linked to domestic violence and four murders in Mesa.
Then came the pandemic.
Last year, the most serious cases of domestic violence nearly quadrupled, with 403 aggravated assaults in Mesa and eight women killed by their partners. In the first nine months of 2021, seven homicides are linked to domestic violence, with 248 domestic violence aggravated assaults.
Among the conditions for aggravated assault, according to state law: resulting in serious physical injury, disfigurement, use of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument or “If the person commits the assault while the victim is bound or otherwise physically restrained or while the victim’s capacity to resist is substantially Mesa Police Department Det. Karrie Flanigan, left, and Victim Services Administrator Shelly Ward, deal every day with the tragedy of domestic violence. (David Minton/Staff Photographer) impaired.”
Shelly Ward has a word for people who do things like that: “monsters.”
Ward is the Victim Services administrator with the Mesa Police Department’s Mesa Family Advocacy Center. The civilian
seeDOMESTIC VIOLENCE page 4
Where victims can find help in Mesa
TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
Shelly Ward, Victim Services administrator with the Mesa Police Department’s Mesa Family Advocacy Center, offered a summary of services provided for domestic violence victims:
Information and referral: connection to shelter, housing, legal services; victim’s rights information, criminal justice process education, crime-specific awareness information, counseling services, support groups, immigration assistance (special visas), outreach/awareness education
Personal assistance: court accompaniment, liaison with employers/schools/ landlords, childcare, transportation, interpreter, assistance with victim impact statements, restitution, Victim Compensation Program and protective order assistance, forensic medical examinations
Emotional support and safety: crisis intervention, safety planning, emergency financial assistance (phones, changing locks, food, gas cards, bus/light rail cards, clothing, car seats, hygiene products, emergency hotel, transportation assistance)
Criminal/civil justice assistance: victim notification (hearings, release conditions), family law assistance.
For more information, call Mesa Vic-
tim Services at 480-644-2036. ■
Warning signs in abusive relationship
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, “red flags” and warning signs of an abuser include: • Extreme jealousy. • Possessiveness. • Verbal abuse. • Extremely controlling behavior. • Forced sex. • Blaming the victim for anything bad that happens. • Sabotage or obstruction of the victim’s ability to work or attend school. • Controls all the finances. • Accusations of the victim flirting with others or having an affair. • Control of what the victim wears and how they act. • Demeaning the victim either privately or publicly. • Harassment of the victim at work.
Court orders getting served quicker on abusers
TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
Asystem established by the state Supreme Court to help domestic abuse victims get protection or-
ders more quickly has produced dramatic results, according to a court commission.
The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission said that since the new Arizona Protective Order Initiation and Notification Tool (AZPOINT) began in January 2020, 70 percent of court orders are served on abusers within seven days.
branch works in tandem with investigators like Det. Karrie Flanigan.
Both of them blame the pandemic for the spike in domestic violence here.
“Victims of domestic violence tend to be isolated—the pandemic didn’t help that,” Ward said. “There are forces keeping you at home with the monster.”
Flanigan nodded in agreement.
“We’re seeing new victims. They’re not used to being home together so much,” Flanigan said.
Candlelight vigil
Tuesday’s event is sponsored by the Mesa Family Advocacy Center, which brings together police, social workers, prosecuting attorneys, physicians and others to assist victims.
“Domestic violence can have a devastating impact on individuals and families in Mesa, and this event is intended to raise awareness of that impact and to help stop violence before it occurs,” Mayor John Giles said.
A candlelight vigil featuring purple candles will honor those lost to domestic violence.
Two survivors of domestic violence will speak at the event, as will Giles and Ward.
The theme of the event: If things are bad, get out. While you can.
“My hope is the door – this is the opportunity to change,” Ward said of the event.
Flanigan seconded that.
“I wish this will help people understand they don’t have to live with domestic violence in their relationship,” Flanigan said.
She added she hopes more awareness will help victims “see it, recognize it, say ‘I’m not going to have it.’ And then make a choice.”
It’s a complex, heart-breaking issue, Ward said.
“There’s a lot of reasons why people choose to stay in a relationship that’s abusive,” she noted. “Shame, guilt, obligations...There’s a lot of fear.”
Victims of even escalating levels of abuse cling to hope that things will get better.
“They want that person to go back to being that loving person – not the monster,” Ward said.
According to the National Coalition In 2017, Gustavo Lamar of Mesa was arrested and charged with murdering his pregnant wife, Viridiana Gonzalez-Saavedra. (Special to the Tribune)
Against Domestic Violence, “Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another.
“It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, economic, and emotional/ psychological abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence varies dramatically.”
While the great majority of domestic violence is unreported, DV-related 911 calls are on the increase.
Domestic violence calls in the city “rose an extreme amount last summer,” Flanigan said. “It dipped at the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021. Now, it’s increasing again.”
And lately, she added, DV calls have been “more extreme,” with aggravated assaults rising sharply.
“Much more aggressive,” Ward agreed. “Much more violent than we’ve seen in a while.”
The civilian and investigative departments often work in tandem. Ward’s department provides supports while Flanigan digs into interviews and evidence finding.
“We do home visits together. Knock on doors to talk to victims,” Flanigan said.
Asked if there is a geographic trend, or if wealthy or working-class neighborhoods have more DV cases, Flanigan shook her head. “It does not matter,” the detective said.
“The thing about domestic violence,” Ward added, “is it crosses all boundaries: age, gender, socio-economic. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor.” After 23 years as an officer responding to DV calls throughout the city, Flanigan decided to finish her career by digging deeper into the crimes and became a detective in March.
“The majority of victims are women. That’s just how it is,” she said. “I think they’re more comfortable talking to a woman.”
Flanigan and other DV detectives assist in obtaining and serving orders of protection, potentially providing surveillance and making arrests for violation of orders.
The Mesa Police Department also does referrals to Mesa social services provider A New Leaf, which has domestic violence programs “dedicated to providing trauma informed services to men, women and children in need of support and assistance to safely move forward in their lives.” (For more information, call 480-464-4648.)
Ward said this is the chance for a big-picture change: “What we’re doing is not just for the victims. We also want the community to be aware…We want the community to stand up and say, ‘We don’t do that here!’”
Teeth knocked out
Before talking to the Tribune, Good was pleased to hear a judge sentence a man to 180 days in jail for punching his wife, knocking out five teeth. “He had two prior domestic violence
THE MESA TRIBUNE | OCTOBER 24, 2021 convictions...it was time for him to do some serious jail time,” Good said.
The case was prosecuted as a misdemeanor as “we didn’t know about the broken teeth before today,” Good said.
But, she added, the Maricopa County prosecutor’s office is so backed up, only the most severe assaults are considered for felony prosecution.
At his misdemeanor trial, the abuser admitted guilt, Good said. “He tried to show remorse. There were some tears shed by the defendant. But it’s hard to take apologies sincerely when it’s happened so many times before,” the prosecutor said.
“It is frustrating seeing these cases. I’m a passionate prosecutor. That case today, I was pretty riled up,” Good said. “But it’s gratifying knowing I help people. I know I helped that victim today. She’s got 120 days of safety where he can’t be showing up.”
As for Gustavo Lamar, last month he celebrated his 30th birthday in jail.
It has been more than four years since he was arrested and charged with killing his pregnant wife. After numerous motions by his attorney, he still awaits trial, which was recently rescheduled to July 22, 2022. He remains an example to a Mesa prosecutor of what can happen: “As a domestic violence prosecutor, I know it’s common for a victim to go back to the abuser—the manipulation and power and control,” Good said. “It’s very common for victims to go back, that’s the nature of the crime.
“Unfortunately, it opens them up to more harm.” ■
Important domestic violence numbers
Mesa Victim Services 480-644-2036. Domestic Violence Hotline 480-890-3039 or 1-844-SAFEDVS. Community Information and Referral 602-2638856. Empact Crisis Hotline 480-784-1500. PREHAB Counselor at the Mesa Family Advocacy Center 480-644-4066. CONTACS Shelter Hotline 800-799-7739. Legal Advocacy Hotline 602 279-2900. National DV Hotline 800-799-7233. A New Leaf (DV assistance and shelters) 480-464-4648. DV Shelter Overflow (when shelters are full) 480-890-3039.
GOT NEWS? Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@timespublications.com
THE MESA TRIBUNE | OCTOBER 24, 2021
Mesa Public Schools teachers score big honors
TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
There are plenty of great teachers in Arizona. But there’s only one “Teacher of the Year” – and that is Nancy Parra-Quinlan, a veteran teacher for over 27 years who has taught at Mesa’s Kino Junior High for the past 15 years.
Jeff Meshey, president and CEO of Desert Financial Credit Union, presented her with the Arizona Educational Foundation’s annual award Oct. 16.
She teaches her junior high students robotics, engineering, aerospace, as well as a medical detectives course. Parra-Quinlan earned a Master of Education at Northern Arizona University, with Bilingual (Spanish) and ESL endorsement.
“Nancy Parra-Quinlan is an innovative and phenomenal educator who embodies the Mesa Public Schools Promise,” MPS Superintendent Andi Fourlis said. “Nancy’s dedication to her students is evident in the smiles on their faces and their excitement for coming to class.
“Nancy engages students by sparking their creativity through real-life projects that include robotics, forensics, engineering and technology.”
Parra-Quinlan is also the director of the Mesa Public School’s summer Aerospace Academy, the coach of the Lego League Robotics team for Kino Junior High and the sponsor of Kino’s STEM Club.
On top of all that, she also volunteers with the Civil Air Patrol and with the 305th Squadron at Falcon Field in Mesa as the Aerospace Education Officer. She holds the rank of captain in the Civil Air Patrol.
She said she loves preparing the next generation for STEM opportunities.
“Arizona is a magnet for technology companies, including aerospace, electronics and other manufacturing industries,” she said. “We must sufficiently fund public education in our state in order to prepare our students to work in the industries that will be most abundant in Arizona over the next few decades.”
Parra-Quinlan plans to spend her “year of service” as an Arizona Teacher of the Year advocating for STEM education, especially the inclusion of girls and Students of Color, who are vastly underrepresented in
STEM careers. As Arizona’s Teacher of the Year, ParraQuinlan becomes a candidate for National Teacher of the Year. She will receive $15,000 from the Arizona Educational Foundation as well as a trip to the White House to meet President Joe Biden and will spend a week at International Space Camp in Alabama. She will also be given professional speech and media training, consideration to receive an honTaryn Tidwell, the choir and musical theatre director of Shepherd Junior orary doctorate High School, was the first winner of the Tancer Arts in Education Award. from Northern Here she is putting her class through some paces. (David Minton/Tribune Arizona UniStaff Photographer) versity and an
Nancy Parra-Quinlan of Mesa’s Kino Junior High was named “Teacher of the Year” by the Arizona Educational Foundation. (David Minton/ Tribune Staff Photographer) Arizona K12 Center Scholarship.
Tancer award
Another Mesa teacher scored a big honor: Act One announced the first winner of its Tancer Arts in Education Award, “given to an Arizona teacher dedicated to sharing a love of the arts with their students.”
The award went to Taryn Tidwell, the choir and musical theatre director of Shepherd Junior High School. Her award was presented in a special ceremony in front of students, colleagues and Act One representatives at Shepherd Junior High on Tuesday morning.
Tidwell was honored as “a powerful voice across the state for the importance and impact the arts have on the overall learning and social emotional well-being of students. “We are very pleased to present the firstever Tancer Arts in Education Award to Taryn for her inspirational story and her passion for the arts,” said Bernadette Carroll, Act One Executive Director. “It was very rewarding for us to see her personal reaction at receiving the award and to see first-hand her impact on her students and school.”
Tidwell said she was “beyond honored” by the award.
“The arts are such a meaningful and important part of my life,” she said, “and I am thrilled to be able to continue to advocate for the importance of the arts in education.
“I had the honor of working with Bob Tancer before he passed, and it means the world to be able to carry on his legacy and love for the arts.” Michael De Alba, art teacher at Dobson High School in Mesa, was one of the five finalists for the award. ■
DV COURT from page 3
Under the old paper-based system, it took an average 23 days between the time a judge granted an order of protection and the time it was served. “AZPOINT is one of the most significant technological innovations that protect victims of inter-personal violence that I have seen in my career. Here at ACJC, we are incredibly pleased with the improvement in the number of individuals timely served with Orders of Protections,” stated commission Chairwoman and Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk.
“The primary role of government is to keep our citizens safe. By making the system more streamlined, accessible, and online, survivors of domestic violence have the assistance they need in the most efficient manner, which provides greater protections all the way around,” Polk said.
Under Arizona’s old system, individuals seeking protection through the courts had to fill out their orders of protection/ injunctions against harassment in person. It was a paper-based system from beginning to end. Courts were issuing over 42,000 orders of protection a year, but only approximately half were actually being served. A number of issues caused these delays, including an outdated statute, an existing statewide system that was paper-based, and a system that required the plaintiff to initiate the service of the protective orders, a court spokeswoman said. With these delays in the system, victims could be left in a volatile situation.
Additionally, under the AZPOINT system, the percentage of orders that are granted by a judge and are actually served has increased from 50 percent to 67 percent.
The Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence stated, “At a time when many survivors are at increased vulnerability due to the impacts of COVID-19, AZPOINT makes it possible for them to petition for an Order of Protection from any location and connect with an advocate to plan for current and future safety, all without a need for childcare or missing a day of work.
“AZPOINT has been a critical advancement in protecting Arizona’s survivors and their families.”
AZPOINT was established to increase public safety by enhancing access and efficiency for the order of protection and injunctions against harassment process for the public, law enforcement and the judicial system.
Information: azpoint.azcourts.gov. ■
THE MESA TRIBUNE | OCTOBER 24, 2021
MPS sees sharp drop in COVID-19 cases on campuses
BY TOM SCANLON
Tribune Managing Editor
When Mesa Public Schools returned to operations after fall break, students did the most important thing: They showed up.
The number of absences due to COVID-19 plummeted, compared to early in the school year.
According to the MPS “COVID Dashboard,” there were 26 student and nine teacher/staff active COVID cases Thursday. The 35 total cases translate to only 53 cases per 100,000 – far lower than the county rate of 190 per 100,000 (Mesa’s rate is 170 per 100,000) and a huge drop from last month. On Sept. 24, the MPS COVID dashboard showed 289 active cases in a student and staff population of just under 65,000; that translated to 384 cases per 100,000, well above the county average of about 200 per 100,00.
“We are seeing a dip in positive cases and our absences are running on average for what we have been seeing this fall,” Holly Williams, the associate superintendent of Mesa Public Schools, said.
“I’m hoping this trend continues.”
According to county data updated weekly, the area served by the Mesa Public Schools district has 198 COVID-19 cases per 100,000, a drop from 231/100,000 the previous week. The number of new cases in Mesa was over 300 cases per 100,000 as September began. (Percent positivity re-
mained in double digits, rising from 15 to 20 percent.) The state continues to record around 2,000 new cases per day, with more than half of those in Maricopa County. Wil According to the MPS COVID dashboard, there were 35 cases reported this week, liams a steep drop from 289 COVID cases in the district last month. (MPS) was cautious about celebrating the drop in COVID. Even so, she noted some of the “mitigation” strategies implemented by the district last month. “What I see is kind of leveling off,” she said. “It feels like we’re getting closer to consistent; it’s not spiking up.”
District schools also have a supply of rapid COVID-19 tests, which are provided on a voluntary basis.
Before having the tests, “Typically, if students had noses dripping, we would send them home to get a COVID test if they were not feeling well in 24 hours,” Williams said.
“Now we can say, ‘You’re a student who is exhibiting (COVID) symptoms, would you like us to do a rapid test?’”
“We’re having great success,” she said. “We just got 4,000 more (test kits).”
MPS does not require students or staff to wear masks on school grounds.
Students are “doing fairly well” in following the guidelines, Williams said.
“If they show up on a bus without a mask, we hand them one. We find our kids to be fairly compliant. They put them on and do a good job. Our principals are handling the ones who are just openly defiant,” she added.
Williams said she did not expect any major changes in MPS mask guidelines and hopes numbers continue to fall, particularly with changes looming.
“Vaccine for children — that could be a game changer,” Williams said. “The two big things (to control COVID) are masks and vaccines.” ■
SHOPLIFTER from page 1
one and run their (criminal) history, they can be involved with so many things—but almost always, shoplifting was the first crime.”
If a kid steals a pack of gum or an elderly man walks out of a store forgetting to pay for a newspaper, Davis won’t get involved.
But when Target, Walmart and other big stores call about repeat offenders, Davis starts digging.
For example, consider what can be called “The Musical Bonnie and Clyde.”
A woman would go into a music store, grab a guitar and dash out, with a male at the wheel. Within hours, she would sell it in a pawn shop. After four or five similar crimes, surveillance video showed a license plate on the couple’s vehicle. Davis tracked them to a Tempe motel.
“They confessed, right away,” Davis said. The couple, in their early 20s, said they Det. Jerry Davis was named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award by the Arizona Retail Association. He targets big-ticket shoplifters. (Dave Minton/Tribune staff photographer) stole to support a drug habit.
Drugs are “almost always” the motives for his shoplifters, Davis said. “I would say 95 percent of the time.” Davis has been with the Mesa PD for 16 years, the last five as a detective. This week, the Arizona Retailers Association’s Loss Prevention Committee named Davis Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award.
“This year, Det. Davis participated in a joint effort with retail loss prevention personnel to apprehend and ultimately arrest multiple criminals committing organized retail theft in Arizona retail stores,” an ARA press release said.
Davis said the committee praised him for his work in arresting a woman who figured out how to scam “scan-and-go” self-serve machines – ripping off nearly $1 million in goods. Her spree started at a Walmart near South Stapley Drive and East Baseline Road.
After getting a description of the woman, Davis used police software to run a search. “Luckily, she was a prolific shoplifter in California,” he said with a smile. He was able to track down the woman and arrest her.
Was she involved in drugs?
“Yes,” Davis said, with a sigh. “Of course.”■
THE MESA TRIBUNE | OCTOBER 24, 2021
NEWS Mesa City Council OKs electric fire truck purchase
BY TOM SCANLON
Tribune Managing Editor
Forget about those big, roaring, diesel-stinking fire trucks. A quiet, clean electric fire truck— the first of its kind not only in the city, but the county—is on the way to the new Station 221 in Eastmark. Mesa City Council voted Oct. 18 to purchase an $1.4 million E-One Electric Fire Pumper Truck. “This will be the first electric apparatus in the fleet and one of the first fully electric fire pumpers in the United States,” according to agenda material.
A city press release crowed this is “the first of its kind made in North America and put into service in the United States.”
“I’m an advocate for electric vehicles— it’s a better technology and this is one of many steps we can take to bring us closer to our Climate Action Plan goals,” Mayor John Giles said.
Though it’s a big check to write, he praised a study showing “potential costsavings and efficiency of electric vehicles in city operations.”In addition to “low to no carbon emissions,” the truck is much quieter than older models.
Councilman Mark Freeman, a former firefighter, said this keeps Mesa on the cutting edge: “We’ve been leaders in technology with paramedic and medical response for some time and this is another step toward the future, helping the city to reach its sustainability goals.”
Mesa is the second municipality in the United States to be in the process of acquiring an all-electric fire truck and will be the first to put a North American style electric fire truck in service.
The truck will be assigned to Mesa Fire and Medical Department Station 221, which is opening this November and will be equipped with electric charging.
Eastmark and Cadence residents will have to wait to see the electric pumper, as it won’t be in use until the end of 2022. The electric fire truck has the capacity to blast one fire with four lines for up to four hours “or run 10 medical calls backto-back on a single charge.” City Council also approved $1.6 million for two other “regular” fire trucks, plus $1.4 million for five ambulances.
The $5 million-plus for emergency response vehicles comes from the voterapproved 2018 Public Safety bond and American Recovery Act funds.
Council will also consider approving an agreement to receive $1.1 million in Assistance to Firefighter Grant funds, with a required city match of $115,779. The funds would be used for cancer screening physicals and other health screenings for Mesa firefighters.
Watch your speed: Council voted to lower the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph on Guadalupe Road east of Signal Butte Road to the east city limits, as recommended by the Transportation Advisory Board.
Also on the east side of town, City Council gave the green light to a 110-acre industrial park near East Warner and South Sossaman roads. NothingBundtCakes.comWith all that industrial development in southeast Mesa set to rev up truck traffic, Mesa City Council approved $14 million for a 2 mile extension of Signal Butte Road from Williams Field Road to Germann Road, establishing “a vital connection to the new State Route 24,” according to agenda material. “The construction of the new roadway will provide additional access for commercial, industrial and residential development in southeast Mesa.” Nearly 95 percent of the project will be reimbursed by an ADOT grant. ■
GOT NEWS? Contact Paul Maryniak at 480-898-5647 or pmaryniak@ timespublications.com
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Mesa judge sentences young offenders to writing time
BY CAMPBELL WILMOT
Tribune Contributor
It’s not every day that a judge sentences someone to a number of pages. When it comes to sentencing juvenile offenders, Judge Elaissia Sears of the West Mesa Justice Court takes a different approach: she imposes a sentence of writing an essay instead of a more traditional punishment. Sears, who took office in January 2019 and is a product of Mesa Public Schools and Arizona State University, is a big advocate for education.
She served as the youth and education assistant for Phoenix Sister Cities, taught English in rural communities and abroad and is passionate about serving and helping Mesa – the community in which she grew up.
“Kids make mistakes and taking the time to educate them rather than immediately taking the punitive road makes more sense,” the judge explained.
“As an elementary school teacher, it was important to take the time to understand why students were behaving in certain ways and how to prevent it in the future. I would argue that an effective criminal justice system combines education with the consequences of one’s actions.” Sears handles civil, traffic, as well as criminal misdemeanors, which include underage drinking.
Along with the diversion program or essay, Sears also assigns community service hours, counseling, restricts driver’s license privileges, and other sentences depending on the charge the person is facing.
“I truly tailor it to that individual. Before we start talking about the sentence, I ask them what their interests are and how they see their life going in the future. We often talk about their family, where they want to go to college, etcetera.”
Charlize Crawford was sentenced to community service, a behavioral class and given the assignment to write about how a criminal record could affect her future. Charlize, who is turning 18 in a few days, wrote an in-depth piece on the effects of a criminal record when trying to become a flight attendant, which she hopes to do in the future.
“The decision on whether or not your record affects if you get accepted to be a flight attendant or not ultimately comes down to the airline, and if they are confident that you will not get yourself into trouble, the airline into trouble, or affect the passengers,” Crawford wrote.
Crawford’s mother, Miloye Deusner, felt that using essays as a sentence is beneficial for juveniles and thought it was impactful to her daughter.
“I was surprised when I heard she was being told to write a 1000 word essay. I felt it was a unique and unusual sentencing but as her mother who was raised by a middle school teacher, I felt she would learn much more from her wrongdoings if she had to give it thought in an essay,” said Deusner.
Sears said that in the three years she has sat on the bench, she has not seen any repeat offenders. By implementing a new approach, Sears believes the defendants truly learn a lesson and are thankful to not have been given a greater punishment.
“It is encouraging to see their reactions when they realize that they’re being given a chance to make a better choice and the gratitude is definitely there… We have to get away from treating people as a case number and recognize each other as human beings,” Sears said.
“I wholeheartedly agree with Angela Davis, who once said ‘prisons do not disappear problems, they disappear human beings,’ and we need to stop it before it gets to that point. “Giving them time to reflect is much more impactful because they are being empowered and simultaneously taking responsibility for their transgressions.” ■
Mesa court pleased with new check-in system
BY RENEE ROMO
Tribune Contributor
The North Mesa Maricopa County Justice Court is getting tech savvy, utilizing a system called WaitWhile to monitor the number of defendants in their courtrooms. Court Manager Tammy Habros implemented the new system in May to help with social distancing and it has succeeded in its purpose. Habros heard about WaitWhile attending the Limited Jurisdiction Court Administrators Association meeting. The Arizona Supreme Court had offered it to any court in the state that wanted to use it.
“If we can get people inside to see Judge (Kyle) Jones and still keep them socially distanced, then of course we will try it,” Habros said.
The system works as a QR code that defendants, who are attending court for arraignment hearings specifically, can scan with their phone.
That takes them to a website where they can register and reserve a spot in line; security is present to explain the process to ensure a smooth process.
Two texts are sent to the defendant, one to inform them that they are next in line and the second to call them up to the front desk, according to Habros.
Staff members of the North Mesa Justice Court such as Carrie Wynn monitor an iPad that has the list of defendants that have registered and allows them into the courthouse accordingly.
Wynn has found WaitWhile to be very beneficial for all parties involved, explaining. “Nobody has complained about the system, it is so easy to use, I want to keep it.” Out of the 26 Maricopa County Justice Courts, the North Mesa precinct is the only one using it, Habros believes.
“If other courts have a need to have crowd control for their courtroom, I think it’d be very beneficial to use WaitWhile,” Habros said.
Scott Davis, spokesman for the Maricopa County Justice Courts, said he has received interest from other courts around the county after seeing the success that North Mesa has had. Habros said that WaitWhile is only for arraignment hearings because “they are the only type of hearing that is not scheduled by the court” and due to that “there is no structure to control the amount of people that may come in after being stopped by a police officer.”
Many defendants have found the process rather easy and quick.
“I just opened my camera on my phone, scanned the code, the link to the website immediately popped up and had me register, it took no more than a minute,” said Christina Miranda after arriving for her arraignment hearing. Habros said that if the number of people that are being seen in person continues after the pandemic, the system would “certainly be helpful to be able to control the amount of people coming in at a time.” Habros especially hopes to see the system upgraded so that defendants can sign up for a specific date and time before they even arrive at the courthouse. ■
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PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN WARNING!
Our clinic is taking every precaution and we follow strict CDC guidelines to ensure that our patients, clinic and staff are SAFE!
Mesa, AZ — The most common method your doctor will recommend to treat your chronic pain and/or neuropathy is with prescription drugs that may temporarily reduce your symptoms. These drugs have names such as Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin, and are primarily antidepressant or anti-seizure drugs. These drugs may cause you to feel uncomfortable and have a variety of harmful side effects. Chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves often causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and the most debilitating balance problems. This damage is commonly caused by a lack of blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet which causes the nerves to begin to degenerate due to lack of nutrient flow.
As you can see in Figure 2, as the blood vessels that surround the nerves become diseased they shrivel up which causes the nerves to not get the nutrients to continue to survive. When these nerves begin to “die” they cause you to have balance problems, pain, numbness, tingling, burning, and many additional symptoms. The main problem is that your doctor has told you to just live with the problem or try the drugs which you don’t like taking because they make you feel uncomfortable. There is now a facility right here in Mesa that offers you hope without taking those endless drugs with serious side effects. (See the special neuropathy severity examination at the end of this article) In order to effectively treat your neuropathy three factors must be determined. 1) What is the underlying cause? 2) How much nerve damage has been sustained. NOTE: Once you have sustained 95% nerve loss, there is likely nothing that we can do for you. 3) How much treatment will your condition require? The treatment that is provided at Aspen Medical has three main goals. 1) Increase blood flow 2) Stimulate and increase small fiber nerves 3) Decrease brain-based pain The treatment to increase blood flow, stimulate small nerve fibers and get you back to health is our new $50,000.00 SANEXAS UNIT! In addition, we use a state-of-the-art diagnostics like the TM Flow diagnostic unit to accurately determine the increase in blood flow and a small skin biopsy to accurately determine the increase in small nerve fibers! The Sanexas electric cell signaling system delivers energy to the affected area of your body at varying wavelengths, including both low-frequency and middle-frequency signals. It also uses amplitude modulated (AM) and frequency modulated (FM) signaling. During a treatment session, the Sanexas system automatically changes to simultaneously deliver AM and FM electric cell signal energy. THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT SANEXAS IS COVERED BY MEDICARE AND MOST INSURANCE! Depending on your coverage, your treatment could be little to no cost to you! The amount of treatment needed to allow the nerves to fully recover varies from person to person and can only be determined after a detailed neurological and vascular evaluation. As long as you have not sustained at least 95% nerve damage there is hope! Aspen Medical will do a chronic pain and neuropathy severity examination to determine the extent of the nerve damage as a public service to you and/or your family and friends. This neuropathy/ pain severity examination will consist of a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and a detailed analysis of the findings of your neuropathy.
Fig. 2
Aspen Medical will be offering this chronic pain and neuropathy severity examination from now until October 31, 2021. Call 480-
274-3157 to make an appointment to determine if your chronic pain and peripheral neuropathy can be successfully treated. Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this FREE consultation offer to the first 15 callers. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL Call 480-274-3157 … NOW!
We are extremely busy and if your call goes to our voicemail, please leave a message and we will get back to you asap.
480-274-3157
4540 E Baseline Rd., Suite 119 Mesa Az 85206
THE MESA TRIBUNE | OCTOBER 24, 2021
EV animal shelter construction contract approved
TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF
Anew and larger animal care shelter in the East Valley came a big step closer to reality last week after the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved a $36 million construction contract.
The shelter will be located on county land in Mesa at Baseline Road and Lewis Drive.
The “vote is another important step in our ongoing mission to find good outcomes for as many homeless pets in our community as possible while fulfilling our statutory responsibilities in this area,” said board Chairman Jack Sellers.
“A larger, modern facility with a better layout will allow us to keep animals healthy and adoptable and the entire community safe.”
Supervisor Steve Chucri said the project is especially important to “the residents who have put their heart and soul into volunteering, adopting, or fostering at our current location.”
“Building a new shelter on land we own will be good for animal welfare. It’s also smart financially because there’s no land cost and the infrastructure is already there,” he added.
The new facility will replace the current shelter at Rio Salado and the Loop 101 which is 30 years old and due for replacement. A favorite of staff, volunteers, and community members, the Rio Salado shelter has consistently housed and treated thousands of homeless dogs and cats each year. It cares for about 200 adoptable dogs.
Plans to replace it with a more modern animal shelter have been in the works for some time but were delayed due to the pandemic. ■
Catalytic converter thefts rising sharply here
BY TOM SCANLON
Tribune Managing Editor
Thieves looking for a fast turnaround are getting under cars to detach and steal catalytic converters — a crime that is seeing a stunning increase in Mesa.
The Mesa Police Department handled two stolen catalytic converter cases in 2018 and one in 2019. Last year, 69 stolen catalytic converters were reported. In the first 10 months of 2021, Mesa Police received 431 catalytic converter theft reports. According to police, more than half of the thefts took place at apartment complexes or outside homes. Thieves also swiped 51 converters from dealerships.
It was time for a sting, police decided.
The Mesa Police Department’s “Operation Heavy Metal” led to three recent arrests.
The Mesa Police Department and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office joined force, with undercover officers purchasing used and stolen catalytic converters from several suspects. Officers also sold catalytic converters to a suspect who bought them believing they were stolen. “Six suspects were identified with three arrested for a variety of criminal charges. The other three suspects have charges pending,” Det. Brandi George of the Mesa PD said.
“The suspect who purchased the catalytic converters from undercover officers was also charged with commercial burglary at an auto recycler in Mesa.” In the one case, she said, 141 catalytic converters were stolen with a value of over $40,000. “This burglary also caused over $50,000 of damage to the property of the victim,” George added.
Police charged Federico Guttierez and Christopher Frenci with multiple charges, including trafficking stolen property, burglary and possession of narcotics.
Anthony Toledo was charged with unlawful sale of a catalytic converter.
The Mesa Police Department also assisted in a catalytic converter marking event Sept. 13-14, giving tips to the community on how to prevent the theft of their catalytic converter. More than 250 citizens had their catalytic converters etched to track and prevent theft of the catalytic converter in the future. ■
FBI snags serial bank robber after EV spree
BY TOM SCANLON
Tribune Managing Editor
A27-year-old Mesa resident with a history of drug-related convictions allegedly went on a bank robbery spree including two Mesa locations. Taylor Stewart’s three-week, $7,000 binge – with scores ranging from $120 to $3,700 – ended when FBI agents arrested her Oct. 13 in front of a Chase Bank on Mill Avenue in Tempe.
She was charged with robbing banks in Tempe and Scottsdale as well as two Mesa banks.
According to an FBI release, “No one was physically injured during the bank robberies.”
The bank robbery spree began on Sept. 23, when, according to a United States District Court document, Stewart robbed a US Bank inside a Walmart on South Signal Butte Road.
TAYLOR STEWART
Stewart allegedly “approached the victim/teller and passed a handwritten robbery demand note to the victim/teller. The note demanded money from the cash drawer, and indicated the suspect had a firearm. The victim/teller complied and gave the suspect $120.” On Oct. 4, Stewart allegedly hit a US Bank inside a Safeway on Power Road.
The court document states Stewart gave the teller a note, saying, “All the $ in the bag. Big Bills, 20-50-100’s. I have a gun. No alarms. No dye packs. I am being made to do this. Thank you.” This time, she got away with $2,160.
Five days later, she gave a Chase Bank teller in Old Town Scottsdale a similar note and made off with $1,231.
Following that robbery, FBI agents found footage from a nearby vape shop showing Stewart getting into a pickup truck. They tracked down the pickup truck in Apache Junction and put a tracking device on it.
This led them to a motel in Tempe, where an employee told investigators Stewart and her boyfriend had been kicked out for using drugs in their room.
But the truck was still in the area. Investigators followed it to the Mill Avenue Chase Bank, where agents observed Stewart put a bandana over her face – as she allegedly did in the three other robberies – before entering the Chase Bank. A note demanding $4,200 gained her $3,700, which she possessed for a few moments before agents arrested her.
Court documents state that, after agents showed her video footage of the four robberies, Stewart admitted she did the four bank heists. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison. On June 8, 2016, Stewart told a Gilbert Police officer who arrested her for shoplifting and possessing heroin that she was working at a Scottsdale retirement home and living in Mesa. On Nov. 14, 2017, Stewart was again arrested for shoplifting and possessing heroin. This time, her arrest was in Phoenix. ■
THE MESA TRIBUNE | OCTOBER 24, 2021
Mesa moving company helps local food bank
BY MALLORY GLEICH
Tribune Contributor
The season of giving is right around the corner, though Just-In Time Storage and Moving Company has been on that track since March 2020.
That’s when the Mesa independent moving company that Justin Hart opened in 2005 began coming to the aid of United Food Bank.
Hart and Business Development Manager George Phillips learned that United Food Bank needed help at the start of the pandemic shutdown and jumped into action.
Their mission: to help transport emergency food bags between United’s warehouses twice a week. The company also collects food from their clients and donates to the food bank via the nationwide Move for Hunger program.
Just-In Time helped to speed along the process of assembling and distributing food to people in need around the Valley. Since the inception of the partnership, Hart and his team have helped transport over a million pounds of food.
“We were shocked when we realized how much food had been transported. We didn’t know it was going to happen so soon,” said Tyson Nansel, United Food Bank vice president of external affairs.
“The partnership between us has been a game changer in helping to free up our drivers’ time to deliver food to our agencies,” Nansel added.
The food bank has assisted hunger relief to people in eastern Arizona since 1983. As a Feeding America member, they collect, store and distribute food to around 165 partner agencies and programs in eastern Arizona. According to Nansel, the nonprofit has served over 345,000 households annually in five Arizona counties.
In 2020, they distributed more than 27 million pounds of food and provided 22.5 million meals, which Nansel said was a 20 percent increase over distribution in 2019.
Because of the shutdown, Just-In Time had found themselves at a sort-of standstill – there was a shortage of work and drivers, so they were in the market for a Just-In Time employees Shawn Brooks and Alex Amaya helped United Food Bank with getting
food to needy families. (Special to the Tribune)
way to help.
“We’ve actually dealt with a labor shortage since we opened our doors, but we continue to fight this first and foremost by taking care of our team,” Hart said. “We have a constant and focused effort to bring in good people to Just-In Time; it’s the only way we will prosper.”
One of those efforts is through volunteering.
The moving company helps the food bank three times a month delivering and dropping off food from their distribution warehouse to the volunteer center.
“The food being dropped off at our volunteer center is assembled into food bags by our volunteers and Just-In Time takes the food back to our main distribution center, which then goes to the various agencies we help,” Nansel said.
Hart and Phillips said that they have consistently found ways to give back to the community but the partnership with United Food Bank and Move for Hunger has “lifted the culture in our company to new heights with our ‘all-in’ mentality,” Hart said.
Because of the success of their efforts, Just-In Time was awarded Mover of the Year by the national nonprofit Move for Hunger.
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Move for Hunger was established in 2009. Their mission is to eliminate food waste by providing people with the opportunity to donate their food when they move to a new home.
“Since joining in 2019, Just-In Time has collected over 1.8 million pounds of food for Move for Hunger – that’s enough to feed 1.5 million people,” said Move for Hunger COO Meghan Longo.
Just-In Time also provides free moving services and donations to an organization called Furnishing Dignity, whose mission is to donate gently-used furnishings, clothing and home items to those in need.
In the future, Just-In Time hopes to grow their team, and in-turn, continue to help their communities grow and succeed. For more information, visit jitmoving.com. ■
Volunteers needed
United Food Bank is looking for volunteers. Duties include: • Sorting and boxing food donations • Building emergency food bags • Serving families at food distribution centers If you need help or can help, visit unitedfoodbank.org.
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