Photo: Sun City, Arizona
Deputies Find ¼ Pound of Meth Along with Stolen Items
Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies were searching for $1200 worth of items that were stolen from a vehicle at Granite Dells trail on September 1st. One of the items was a pair of Air Pods that were pinging at a particular location in Sun City in Maricopa County. Deputies determined the occupant, Justin James Krista, had previous convictions for burglary, theft, impersonation, fraud, theft of vehicle, dangerous drugs, identity theft, trespassing and criminal damage. His ex-wife, Sarah Benjamin who also lived at the address, had arrests for identity theft, drug paraphernalia, assault, and destruction of evidence. Deputies also found this address was associated with a second trail head burglary in Black Canyon City August 28, 2022.
Deputies, with the help of Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, conducted a search of the residence after obtaining a warrant and located several items from the vehicle burglary. Also during the search, they located over a quarter pound of methamphetamine in thirty different baggies packaged for sale, as well as associated paraphernalia and a loaded rifle. Both Krista and Benjamin are prohibited possessors of firearms from felony convictions.
Krista was tipped off about the arrival of law enforcement and had left his place of employment before deputies arrived. His whereabouts are unknown. Sarah Benjamin will be charged with numerous offenses.
Student Makes Threat to Shoot up School in Black Canyon City
Thursday morning YCSO received a report from staff at Canon Elementary School in Black Canyon City that a 14-year-old student made threats to shoot up the school. Deputies responded, meeting with school staff and learned that on Saturday, 9/2 the boy told his friend that he felt like shooting up the school. The boy lives with his grandmother, who has custody of him, and he had been absent from school all this week.
According to the friend, the boy gave a very detailed account of how and what he would do, and when deputies interviewed the boy, he eventually admitted to making the threat and conceiving the plan to shoot people at the school. He is currently being booked into juvenile detention on charges of threatening and making terroristic threats.
YCSO Deputies Save Baby’s Life
Early Friday morning around 1:30 am, YCSO responded to a report of a one-and-a-half-year-old infant who was actively seizing and not breathing on an I-17 off ramp in Camp Verde. When the deputy got to the scene, EMS had not yet arrived, and he noticed the child was still not breathing.
He assisted the parents by opening the child’s airway and she began to breathe rapidly. Fire arrived shortly thereafter. The deputy learned that the baby, whose parents are from Cottonwood, had just been released from Phoenix Children’s Hospital for breathing issues. EMS transported the infant to an area to have her life-flighted back to PCH. The deputy did a great job remaining calm under the pressure, which likely saved the baby’s life. The status of the baby’s health is not known at the moment.
Missing Young Girl Found after Quick YCSO Response
At approximately 9:30 am this morning YCSO received a call of a missing 12-year-old girl. She was reported missing by staff from the Sedona Sky Academy in Lake Montezuma. While units were responding, an article of her clothing was located near Beaver Creek a short distance away. Deputies arrived first and began searching the property. At the same time a large, coordinated response from YCSO resources were activated quickly, including helicopter support, drones, Search and Rescue volunteers and the Forest Patrol deputies. Roadblocks were set up in case the girl had been abducted.
Not too long after the search began, a deputy searching near the creek located the girl, who was in good condition. She was returned to the school, and when asked why she left, she said she just needed some space and went to the creek, but until she heard the deputy calling her name, she wasn’t sure if she would actually run away.
Thanks to the immediate response and obviously the comfort of the deputy who found her, this young lady is safe today.
