Recently in Robbery / Theft Category

Apple products are some of the most coveted personal electronics on the market right now. They’re so popular that six people may have risked their freedom to get their hands on them.

Scottsdale police arrested three residents on Monday in connection with the burglary of the Apple Store at the Scottsdale Quarter, reports The Arizona Republic. Three suspects are still on the loose.

Officers believe 19-year-old James Combs, 18-year-old Daniella Sierra and an unidentified 17-year-old were among a group of six who did a smash-and-grab of around $80,000 of Apple electronic and computer products. That’s a lot of iPads, iPhones and iPods.

A Tucson woman and her boyfriend are accused of taking advantage of a bedridden multiple-sclerosis patient who later died, reports the Arizona Daily Star.

The woman, Lea Marie Hughes, is already in jail for vulnerable adult abuse of 64-year-old Ruthann Jacox. Hughes and her boyfriend, Gilbert Pierre Peralta Jr., were indicted on additional charges of fraud and theft on Thursday.

Craigslist is arguably one of the most popular modern-day methods of selling and buying goods online, but the ability to score a good deal with strangers can make you vulnerable to various crimes. One Arizona man opened up about a recent Craigslist-sale gone wrong in the hope of preventing it from happening again, reports myFoxPhoenix.

The man, who wished to remain anonymous, set up a meeting to buy an Apple MacBook from the suspect. Before agreeing to meet the seller, however, he took all of the right precautions - arranged to meet at a public place, chose the location himself, and picked a time during broad daylight.

For local businesses, the holiday season means more customers, longer hours, and the increased threat of shoplifters. But petty thieves beware: store owners are turning to the Internet to help track you down. Frustrated Tucson retailers, for example, have gone on the offensive against would-be thieves and have taken to social media sites like Facebook to assist in their capture, reports the Associated Press.

Industrious retailers have begun posting photos of suspected shoplifters in the hope that someone will recognize them.

Boutique-owner Lauren Baker began posting still photos from surveillance videos in one of her store’s Facebook albums called the “Wall of Shame,” according to The Republic.

The holiday season is our favorite time of the year, but we know it's not all merry and bright. There are would-be Grinches out there ready to make your holiday a not-so-jolly one. Luckily, the Phoenix Police Department has released a few tips to keep you safe and content this year. It's better to be nice than naughty:

Holiday Shopping:

Black Friday aside, holiday shopping can be a dangerous venture in general. To make sure your outdoor shopping experience is a pleasant one, follow these tips:

With temperatures predicted to drop into the 60s over the next couple of weeks, Phoenicians who hate the cold may be tempted to wait inside their homes while they warm their cars up before jumping into the ice boxes. However, with the decrease in temperatures comes an increase in car thefts, most likely due to unattended idling cars, reports ABC15 News.

Flagstaff police are warning Arizonans in general to not let their cars become easy targets. Every year, they see a spike in car thefts around the winter season. In the current year alone, 19 cars have been swiped since temperatures began dropping in the past two months. Oftentimes, victims only let their guard down for only a moment.

"[They] run in, grab a cup of coffee, and by the time they come back out, they are holding a cup of coffee in their hand, but no vehicle," a Flagstaff police officer told ABC15.

If you know someone who has been arrested for a crime, the next steps are fairly standard: booking, bail determination, and if he or she qualifies, posting bail. There are many right ways to help a friend post bail, but there's one very wrong way to do it - committing a crime to help pay for it.

As unbelievable as the motive sounds, police say they arrested a Prescott Valley man for allegedly robbing and assaulting two men for the money to bail his friend out of jail, reports ABC15 News.

Both victims and witnesses report that 31-year-old Brandon Abraham physically assaulted and attempted to rob them of $600 in cash and valuables. However, Prescott Valley police responded in time to catch the suspect. The police report stated that Abraham needed the money and items for bail for his friend.

A one-year-old toddler was shot and killed Monday morning in a suspected home invasion in Mesa that went horribly wrong, according to The Arizona Republic.

Two masked men attempted to enter an apartment in a Mesa complex around 7 a.m. when they were confronted by the toddler's grandmother, according to authorities. In the ensuing altercation, the toddler was fatally shot in the head by one of the men, Mesa police allege. The boy was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Two Walmart workers reportedly robbed their store early Thursday morning to pay for a sex-change operation and a new car, reports The Daily Courier.

Twenty-three-year old Spencer Danger Cullen and nineteen-year-old Adriano Valdes Altiveros III were arrested on Friday on suspicion of stealing $45,000 from the Prescott Walmart.

Prescott police claim Altiveros admitted to stealing the cash to buy a new car, and Cullen told police she stole the money for a sex-change operation, Prescott Police Department spokesman Lt. Andy Reinhardt told The Courier.

Several would-be criminals apparently tried to take advantage of the Labor Day weekend as reports of multiple home invasions come in from cities across the Valley.

Five suspects were arrested for a Glendale home invasion Saturday night that resulted in the death of one man, reports ABC 15 News. Nineteen-year-old Tyler Moreira was allegedly shot and killed in his home during an attempted robbery by Jonathan Dorsey, Lequai Green and Bebeshuree Macias. Two juveniles were also arrested in connected with the crime. The suspects reportedly charged into the home after Green posed as a woman trying to trade stereo equipment.