Desert Messenger

WHAT'S INSIDE 3 Business Chamber closes 3 Council openings 4 Alamo Lake Scoping Meetings 6 Editorial 7 Letters to the Editor 7 Memorial Day Events 7 Bookstore changes 8 Buck Connors Part II 9 Restaurants 11 The Salvation Army Happenings 13 Torch Run 15 Nancy's Kitchen 16 Travelogue 17 Police Arrest Report 18 Churches 20 Puzzles 21 Small Business Week 22 Classifeds 22 Paul Winer's Cartoon www.DesertMessenger.com • "Quartzsite's FREE Community Paper" • 928-916-4235 WEDNESDAY, May 16, 2018 VOL. 14 # 279 Now in our 14 t h YEAR! Alwa y s FREE! Police Arrest Report 21 Small Business Week SEE ARSON PAGE 4 SEE THEFT PAGE 4 Deadly shootout and fires Former QPD tech indicted on theft charges ����� | S������ RAIN G�����-B��� PHOENIX - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced a State Grand Jury indicted 46-year-old Christy Conley, a former Quartzsite Police Department (QPD) evidence technician, on charges related to stealing money that she was responsible for safeguarding as evidence. Conley is also accused of lighting a fi re inside of the evidence room in an attempt to cover her tracks. Conley is accused of stealing approximately $20,000 from the Quartzsite Police Department's evidence safe. $13,000 of the $20,000 belonged to a deceased man's estate. The remaining $7,000 was evi- dence impounded in drug traffi cking cases. Conley was arrested in Wisconsin on a Grand Jury warrant and will be extradited back to Arizona to face charges of Theft, Fraudulent Schemes and Artifi ces, and Tampering with Evidence, as well as a mis- demeanor reckless burning charge related to the fi re. On May 1, 2018 at 10:41 p.m., the Quartzsite Police Department (QPD) began to receive calls of two houses on fi re in the area of 110 N. Washington St. in Quartzsite, AZ. While asleep in their bed, Bev- erly and George Cunningham were awaken by the barking of their dog Daisy. Beverly looked out her bedroom window to see what her dog was barking at, witnessed a disgruntled renter torching their home. Had Daisy not barked, Beverly and George would have per- ished in this tragedy. The Cunninghams, with their "hero dog" Daisy ran out the back door to safety. Upon arrival to the scene, QPD offi cers learned the fi res were in- tentionally set. Victims from one of the homes were able to identify the suspect who started the fi res and were able to provide a descrip- tion of the vehicle in which the suspect fl ed. Just after 11:30 p.m., Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) troopers were called by the QPD to assist in the search of the suspect. At 12:39 a.m., QPD offi cers and two AZDPS troopers located the suspect in an area north of the Burger King off Exit 17 in Quartzsite. Shortly after locating the suspect, he fi red at the offi cers and troop- ers striking a QPD offi cer. One of the troopers returned fi re while the other trooper dragged the QPD offi cer to cover and applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. The injured QPD Offi cer was transported to Lake Havasu Regional Medical Center with serious injuries. The injured Quartzsite offi cer was identi- fi ed as 34-year-old Keynan Weltha. Weltha has been with the Quartzsite offi cer for three years. A DPS spokesperson says he's recovering after undergoing multiple medical procedures and is said to be in "good spirits" and thankful for the support.

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