Phoenix police arrest 3 men suspected of aggravated assault

by Colin Lecher - Aug. 13, 2010 10:25 PM
The Arizona Republic

Three men were arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault after threatening a Phoenix man with a shotgun after his sister broke up with one of them, police said. One man remained on the loose Friday night.

Four men, one armed with a shotgun, went to the victim's apartment near 19th and Glendale avenues and tried to goad him out, said Phoenix police Sgt. Steve Martos. The men had threatened him with a knife earlier in the day and threatened to damage his property earlier this week, Martos said.

The victim, who was inside the apartment with two of his nieces, refused to leave and called 911. When police arrived, the four men ran to a vehicle and drove to a nearby apartment complex, Martos said.

One man was arrested trying to get out of the car, but police set up a perimeter to catch the remaining three. Two more made it to a QuikTrip convenience store down the street, where they hid in the bathroom before employees called 911, Martos said. The fourth suspect was last seen at the complex and had not been found as of 10 p.m.

The two men fled the QuikTrip out a backdoor and into a nearby neighborhood. One was caught on the streets, but another forced his way into a woman's home and kept her from leaving, according to Martos.

A police officer searching the neighborhood saw her through the window and motioned for her to come outside so she could be interviewed. The officer found it suspicious when the woman ignored the officer's request, however, and police entered her home, arresting the man without incident.