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Tempe Police: Convicted felon commuting to a gang tattoo session discovered with machete

The man said he had been sharpening the machete while sitting in front of a friend’s house earlier that day

Police Beat Photo

Tempe Police Headquarters


Tempe Police reported the following incidents Thursday:

A 24-year-old Maricopa man was arrested March 30 at South 48th Street and West Alameda Drive on suspicion of a parole violation and possessing a prohibited weapon, according to a police report.

Officers had stopped the man at the intersection for speeding, but the man argued he was trying to pass another driver who had cut him off, police reported.

A dog alerted officers to the scent of illegal drugs in the car, and officers discovered a machete hidden between the front passenger seat and the center console, according to the report.

During an interview, the man said he was a convicted felon and had been sharpening the machete while sitting in front of a friend’s house earlier that day, police reported. 

The man said that he lives his life cautiously and that he would use the machete to protect himself if needed, according to the report.

A background check revealed that the man was a documented street gang member and was on his way to a Phoenix residence to complete a gang tattoo for a friend, police reported.

The man said he was not worried about being charged with weapon misconduct because it is a “bulls--t charge,” according to the report.

The man was transported to Tempe City Jail, where he was booked and held to see a judge, police reported.


An 18-year-old Mesa man was arrested April 2 on the 1800 block of East Guadalupe Road on suspicion of strong-arm robbery, theft and second-degree burglary, according to a police report.

A video surveillance shows the man had followed another man out of a Starbucks to steal his laptop on Jan. 9, police reported.

Later that day, the man entered another Starbucks, where a second video surveillance shows him stealing another laptop while a man worked on it, according to the report.

Law enforcement and news agencies identified the man through still photographs of the videos, police reported. 

The man did not deny the crimes, through he said he does not remember the day because he was “very high,” according to the report.

Fingerprints also revealed that the man had broken into a Tempe house and stole approximately $1,700 worth of property, police reported.

The man was transported to Tempe City Jail, where he was booked and held in custody, according to the report.

Reach the reporter at aplante@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @aimeenplante

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