The following briefs are compiled from information taken from reports filed with Safford Police Department (SPD) and the Thatcher Police Department (TPD). Anyone with information about these or other crimes is encouraged to call SPD at 428-6884 or TPD at 428-2296.

False reporting to law enforcement

500 block of Arena Way A Thatcher Police officer pulled over a vehicle on Arena Way that was traveling at 39 mph in a posted 25 mph zone on March 12 at 6:54 p.m.

The driver of the vehicle identified himself as German Velasquez, but did not have any form of identification that contained a picture.

Velasquez showed the officer a San Carlos Tribal Employment Rights card, but the Social Security Number on the card belonged to someone else, according to the police report.

Velasquez then showed the officer a health insurance card, but again, the Social Security Number on the card was not his.

Velasquez told the officer he got the Social Security Number from a man in Phoenix. He stated he knew the number was not his, but he needed it to work, according to the police report.

Velasquez was arrested for false reporting to a law enforcement agent and failure to provide identification.

Hit and Run

1800 block of Fargo Drive

A Safford Police officer was called to a house on Fargo Drive in reference to a fence that had been knocked down by an unknown vehicle.

The reporting party had been out of town and told the responding officer he noticed the damage when he returned home on March 12 at 7 p.m.

The officer found paint chips at the scene, which he was able to match up with a truck belonging to Joseph M. Abeyta that had been towed the previous night.

During questioning, Abeyta said he remembered hitting the fence. He said he was driving home through alleys and was going too fast, according to the police report.

Abeyta said as he rounded a corner he hit the fence, then backed up and left the scene.

Abeyta was cited for failure to control his vehicle and failure to notify the owner of damage to a fixed object.

Assault

1800 block of 11th Place

Safford Police were called out to a residence on 11th Place to investigate an assault at 11:24 p.m. on March 13.

The victim said she had left a party with the Raymond P. Madrid, 23, and they got into a fight in the back seat of a vehicle while heading to an individual's residence.

A witness at the residence reported hearing a loud commotion outside his window and when he went to the front door, Madrid forced his way inside, breaking a mirror in the process. The witness said he chased Madrid away and while Madrid was leaving, he punched and broke the window of a vehicle parked on the side of the road.

At 2:47 p.m., officers were called to the 700 block of 16th Street to investigate an assault. Upon their arrival, the officers noticed the victim was bleeding extensively from the right side of his head and had two large marks, 3 to 4 inches wide and 12 to 14 inches long on his back.

The man said he had an altercation with his ex-wife earlier in the night and slapped her. Later, two men, Madrid and another man, either Brian or Byron Wiley, showed up at his door and started a fight with him.

The man ended up on top of Wiley, and then felt two sharp pains on his back. He realized Madrid was hitting him with a baseball bat. Madrid then kicked him twice in the head, according to the police report.

While at this scene, the officers were dispatched to the Safford East Trailer Park in reference to a disorderly subject carrying a baseball bat. The officers were later informed the subject was Madrid.

Madrid was arrested and admitted to breaking the car window earlier, but said he did not assault the female victim.

According to the police report, he also said he struck the male victim in self defense.

Madrid said he went to the male victim's house to confront him about slapping his ex-wife when he was attacked. He said he was carrying the bat because he had been jumped earlier in the night.

Madrid was arrested for criminal damage, assault and disorderly conduct.

3000 block of First Avenue

Rudy Dominguez, Rene Villescas and Fermin Rodriguez were arrested for assault on March 14 for allegedly starting a fight in the Desert Hills Mobile Park.

Safford Police were dispatched to the mobile park with information that about 30 people were involved in a fight. Upon arrival, they spoke with the victim, who said their assailants had already fled.

The victim said he was going to his father's house when Villescas, 18, exited a vehicle, approached him and tried to punch him. The victim said he fought back and at that point Dominguez, 25, and Rodriguez, 23, exited the vehicle and all started fighting with him.

The victim said Rodriguez threw a beer bottle at him but missed and hit his girlfriend.

A Graham County Sheriff's Deputy found the trio in their car and pulled them over at the intersection of Central Avenue and Third Street.

Dominguez said the victim was taunting them and asked them to follow him to the trailer park to fight.

Villescas said the same thing, adding that when they got to the trailer park, the victim attacked him. Villescas had a large cut on his upper lip and a large amount of blood on his shirt, according to the police report.

Two witnesses to the fight said they saw the suspects drive into the park at a high rate of speed and attack the victim. All three were arrested for assault and disorderly conduct.

Contact Greg Jones at 428-2560 (ext. 234) or e-mail him at gjones@eacourier.com.