Firefighters responded to an apartment fire in Ahwatukee Foothills on Saturday afternoon The fire, which occurred at an apartment building near 48th Street and Warner Road drew a response from firefighters from multiple cities Firefighters successfully put out the fire by just after 4 p.m., and the Phoenix Fire Department Community Assistance Program was dispatched "to assist with the affected families," according to the Phoenix Fire Department Details about whether the fire resulted in injuries Reach the reporter at mparrish@arizonarepublic.com More money: Ahwatukee property owners next to Loop 202 win case against Arizona, get $17M more By Ben BradleyPublished: Jan 2025 at 7:48 PM MSTEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInPHOENIX (AZFamily) — An 18-year-old man died following a rollover crash on a Loop 202 overpass in the Phoenix neighborhood of Ahwatukee Monday morning First responders were called to the crash just before 10 a.m. on a South Mountain Freeway overpass at Desert Foothills Parkway Crews arrived to find a Jeep Wrangler that had rolled over and landed on its roof Detectives say Alvarez had gotten off the freeway when he didn’t turn correctly and crashed into the wall See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description Detectives watched in the middle of the night as a man began posting handmade political signs around his Ahwatukee Foothills neighborhood Glued to the sides of some signs were small blades Affixed to the back of some was a bag of white powder and a crude and vague warning it was poison Police were already watching Jeffrey Michael Kelly because they suspected him of shooting three times at an empty Democratic campaign office appeared to be an escalation of his political violence Kelly was accused Thursday of three felony counts of making false terrorism threats This is in addition to the seven felonies and three misdemeanor accusations he faced for the shootings at the campaign office Authorities searching Kelly’s home seized more than 120 guns according to court papers filed on Wednesday A Republic reporter who saw FBI and ATF agents taking inventory in the carport Wednesday morning heard mentions of the words “machine gun” and “silencers” and discussion of several safes in the home That search also revealed a makeshift sign workshop in the back patio of Kelly’s home according to an additional court document filed on Thursday Authorities found a table with what was described in the document as “sign making materials” such as glue guns glitter and a random assortment of compact discs Some of the sign factory remained in the backyard on Thursday A Republic reporter saw what appeared to be a homemade sign with the words: “Legalize murder” and “Yes on 139.” Proposition 139 would enshrine abortion rights in the Arizona constitution font and typography were a crude approximation of the signs posted by the campaign advocating for the proposition’s passage An official “Yes on 139” sign was seen in Kelly’s backyard near the homemade one authorities found notebooks that had slogans that would appear on signs Kelly would later make along with notes about where they would be located Notations next to some slogans said “razor” or “powder,” according to the document Kelly returns to court; bond increasedKelly who was already being held on a $500,000 cash bond in the shootings at the campaign office had his initial appearance for the other charges on Wednesday morning At the end of his second appearance on Wednesday night the judge ordered Kelly held on an additional $500,000 bond meaning Kelly would have to post $1 million cash to be released said that he “completely and categorically denied” the government’s allegations against Kelly Squires said that Kelly posed no threat and that prosecutors have made mistakes when discussing the evidence Although authorities said that Kelly had a grenade launcher in his home Squires said during the hearing it was a flare gun that Kelly uses in tactical competitions Squires also disputed a police assertion that Kelly had a machine gun in his vehicle when he was arrested was a semi-automatic rifle that Kelly obtained from a friend Squires said he wasn’t even sure if it was operable Squires said that the sheer number of weapons that Kelly owned was not evidence of a dangerous person He likened it to a mechanic who might have 40 hammers on his wall for some people 120 firearms sounds creepy," Squires said "To people who compete and engage in the sportsman's realm Squires said Kelly denied the accusations that his posting of signs amounted to an act of terrorism and said the weapons cache had nothing to do with the signs “The allegations are all related to signs,” Squires said The string of incidents Kelly is accused of began on Sept The glass door of a campaign field office for the Democratic presidential ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov Tim Walz was struck 13 times with a BB gun The campaign office was struck again on Sept real bullets were used: six .22 caliber bullets Tempe police said they were able to get surveillance video of the third incident that showed a silver SUV The Police Department released a photo of the vehicle and offered a Silent Witness reward for information on Oct the department received tips that the silver SUV seemed to match one owned by a man who had stolen campaign signs in 2022 Those incidents involved the campaign signs of Paul Weich a Phoenix attorney seeking a state legislative seat in the district Weich told The Republic that after several of his signs went missing he hired a private investigator who found surveillance video of his signs being swiped Weich said he was frustrated that the city didn’t act more aggressively with the information he provided Phoenix prosecutors eventually declined to press charges against Kelly But after Tempe police received Kelly’s name from the tipsters detectives from that department began surveillance of Kelly at his tony and well-manicured Ahwatukee Foothills neighborhood That’s how detectives saw him leave his house at 11:13 p.m The first spot was about a mile and a half from his home nailed a sign to a palm tree that read “Never Harris” and was designed to resemble an official Harris campaign sign Around the side of the sign were blades meant to be loaded into a utility knife Written near where that bag was affixed was a handwritten message consisting of a curse and these words: “Play stupid game’s win stupid prizes Kelly was then seen by police going to 44th Street and Chandler Boulevard where he used a ladder to nail another sign to a palm tree This one read in all capital letters: “Dems lie.” Police said on the back they found another baggie of white powder and another message: “Do not breath this (expletive) in “Dems kill Jews,” and was also ringed with blades Behind this sign was another baggie of white powder and another vague warning Detectives said they saw Kelly post three more signs in the area But none had white powder taped to the back Kelly returned to his home just before 2:30 a.m. What was the white powder on the signs?Once detectives discovered the potentially hazardous material posted behind the signs it resulted in a massive response from the Phoenix Fire Department as hazardous materials units carefully removed the baggies from the back of the signs Police tested the powder and found it was decidedly nonhazardous baking powder A slew of law enforcement officers followed him Tempe police stopped his vehicle using what it called a “grappler,” a net that shoots from the front bumper of a police vehicle and wraps itself around a vehicle’s back tire a prosecutor said the weapons included a machine gun the weapons were listed as a rifle and three handguns Seized: FBI finds hundreds of weapons at home of suspect in Arizona Democratic Party office shooting Kelly also did not have his cellphone on him which police said was also the case when he shot at the Democratic campaign office A prosecutor said in court it was possible Kelly was on his way to “potentially do something” when stopped The probable cause statement filed against Kelly on Thursday said that using the white powder constituted an act of terrorism because it was designed to cause fear The statement said that Kelly was “attempting to instill fear around the upcoming election.” (This story was updated to add new information.) AZ — Phoenix police have identified a teen involved in the deadly stabbing of another teen early Saturday morning in Ahwatukee Police say they were called to the area near 40th Street and Chandler Boulevard around 3 a.m they found 15-year-old Jaylen Reeves suffering from life-threatening stab wounds Phoenix police say they identified a teenager involved in the stabbing and they provided a statement to investigators The name of that teenager has not been provided Detectives are still investigating and working to interview multiple witnesses officers learned that Reeves was with a group of friends when a fight started between him and the unknown suspect(s) Police are looking for any home surveillance video from residents in the area If you have any video or other information about the stabbing, you are asked to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or report the information online Reeves attended Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee The Tempe Union High School District released the following statement regarding Reeves' death: The Mountain Pointe High School community is deeply saddened by the loss of Jaylen Reeves this weekend We know this tragedy extends its impact throughout the wider Ahwatukee community counselors and mental health support will be available at both the Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista campuses tomorrow We encourage all students and staff who need assistance to reach out for support Our leaders at both schools are committed to fostering a compassionate environment where everyone feels safe to share their feelings and begin the healing process and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time Report a typo When vandals stole copper wiring from electrical boxes at Mountain Vista Park and Pecos Park and the second was at Mountain Vista Park on Feb rendering both park's nighttime stadium lights ineffective Without field lights for practice, Ahwatukee Little League was forced to get creative The league shifted its practice schedule to account for the lack of nighttime lighting at Mountain Vista Park Ahwatukee Little League teams made the most of daytime hours with earlier practice times and the use of other parks while the junction boxes were repaired 18 about the incident at Mountain Vista Park Lighting was fully restored at Mountain Vista Park as of Feb the city of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department confirmed the department was still working on lighting repairs for Pecos Park and offered any affected sports leagues access to alternative park locations in the interim "While we are disappointed by the recent acts of vandalism and the resulting disruption to facility use we sincerely appreciate the community's continued patience and understanding as we work to resolve the issue," said Teleia Galaviz public information officer for the department It is not yet clear whether the acts of vandalism are related but Phoenix police said it is a possibility There have been no arrests made in either case In a Facebook post on Feb the league thanked the community for its support and offered to help any other youth leagues affected by the vandalism and we are committed to not only ensuring the lights are restored at both parks but also being a voice for making our neighborhood parks safer for our families," the post read Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInAHWATUKEE AZ (AZFamily) —An investigation is underway after three school rabbits were reportedly killed on Friday It happened at the God’s Garden Preschool of Ahwatukee near Loop 202 and Liberty Lane have been with the preschool for a few years Details are limited; the school says someone appeared to have broken into the playground after staff left for the day Phoenix police say the rabbits were killed while in a cage within their fenced yard between Thursday night and Friday morning they cut the zip ties off and pulled on the fence,” Denise Tobin The preschool said in a Facebook post that its main priority is safety we’re not really sure the cause of death,” said Tobin a teacher found all three bunnies dead in their cage kept in a fenced-in playground Everyone part of the church preschool near Loop 202 and Desert Foothills Parkway is horrified they’ll have to break the news to the kids “We just have to say that the bunnies are with God and in heaven and we’re going to pray for them,” Tobin said The bunnies were a fun part of the curriculum and were even sent home with families during long breaks and holidays It was a special way to teach the students about community and how to care for animals and we grow vegetables to feed the bunnies it’s a great learning experience besides just being pets,” said Tobin “These bunnies are just so gentle and that’s why they’re great for the kids.” but the plan is to get more bunnies in the future The school says it’s upping security measures and adding cameras they’re holding a parent meeting about safety “It makes us feel uneasy about you know who was out there and who did this and I just really hope we can figure out who is behind this,” said Tobin Federal agents on Wednesday morning hauled more than 120 firearms, including "machine guns," out of the Ahwatukee Foothills home of a man suspected of shooting three times at a campaign office for the Democratic Party and posting bags of white powder labeled as poison near political signs was arrested on Tuesday night near his Ahwatukee Foothills home by Tempe police who used surveillance footage to find the suspect Pictures of the suspect vehicle were shared through Silent Witness resulting in tips from community members who recalled Kelly had been accused of stealing campaign signs in the area in 2022 Tempe Police Chief Ken McCoy said Wednesday at a news conference About a dozen plainclothes law enforcement personnel were taking inventory of a menagerie of weapons in the carport of Kelly's home on Wednesday morning A reporter overheard mention of handguns being found in a master bathroom safe and the words “machine gun” and "silencers.” Update: Terrorism charges filed against Phoenix man held in Dem shooting case One of the law enforcement agents told a Republic reporter that he was with the FBI a prosecutor said the federal Bureau of Alcohol The weapons were placed in a moving van and hauled away which neighbors said was ripped out by police lay crumbled on the sidewalk just south of the home Kelly was ordered held on seven felony counts including three of committing an act of terrorism A court document said authorities still were preparing a case tied to the white powder attached to the political signs A court document said Kelly also was under two separate federal investigations The Arizona Republic reached out to the FBI and U.S Justice Department but did not immediately receive a response said at a court appearance his client was a retired aerospace engineer who at one point had top-secret clearance through his employer He said the firearms he had were as a "sportsman" and that none was possessed illegally During Kelly's initial appearance on Wednesday a prosecutor from the Maricopa County Attorney's Office struck an ominous tone He said the weapons cache showed Kelly was "preparing to commit an act of mass casualty." A court document said Kelly's actions showed a pattern of escalation of suspected terrorist activity Kelly's attorney Squires said his vehicle was stopped using a grappler that hooked the car from behind "That is quite shocking to a person who's never had any previous allegations at all," Squires said in court Squires said in court the car was then surrounded by more than a dozen law enforcement personnel The prosecutor said Kelly had numerous guns in his car no cellphone was tracked during the shootings at the Democratic office That led authorities to believe he was on his way to "potentially do something," the prosecutor said McCoy said his officers "were not surprised" that Kelly was armed He said the stop was made because officers had probable cause He did not detail whether the department knew how many weapons he had in his car before the arrest authorities also found BB guns and rifles consistent with what they said were fired at the Democratic campaign office in Tempe according to a probable cause statement filed with the court Court documents showed that during the search authorities found a 2009 Toyota Highlander covered by blankets matching the description of the vehicle seen on surveillance video arriving at and fleeing from the Democratic office on the nights of the shootings Authorities also found numerous license plates some of which matched those seen on surveillance video A search of Kelly's Google account by Tempe police revealed searches for the address of the Democratic Party office in Tempe and multiple searches related to the research and purchase of various firearms and accessories Kelly's social media page disclosed numerous posts of anti-Democratic ideology as well as "numerous posts indicative of his knowledge and possession of firearms," the court document read Real estate records show Kelly moved into the home in the early 1990s A brown metal sculpture of a wide-eyed dog stood sentinel on a post near the sidewalk The home is in a well-manicured subdivision that includes some two-story homes Most of the neighbors interviewed said Kelly was a man who tended to keep to himself Many remarked that he had been seen less and less in the past couple of years He had stopped the lavish Halloween displays that had been his main neighborhood identifier Neighbor Kris Smith said she didn’t know the man too well — by choice “There’s people you try to stay away from,“ said Smith a retiree who has lived in the neighborhood since 1992 Smith said a neighbor who lived next door to the suspect often had contentious run-ins over the growth of bushes and pool maintenance issues Smith said that neighbor described him as a “January 6-type person.“ A field office for the Democratic Party's presidential ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was shot at three different times in late September and early October. The latest incident occurred about 12:30 a.m 9 at the office near Southern Avenue and Priest Drive The previous two shootings occurred on Sept and the second and third incidents involved gunfire from a .22 caliber gun Damage included bullet holes in the glass front door and a window Authorities believed Kelly shot at the office from his vehicle Arizona Democrats shuttered the field office two days after the third shooting Police saw that the same silver sports utility vehicle was used in each shooting and were able to grab license plate information from surveillance video and license plate readers Tempe police pulled trash out of Kelly's garbage can on Oct detectives found three casings that were similar to those that struck the Harris-Walz campaign office Kelly was accused of the following related to the shootings Tempe police posted a Silent Witness bulletin on Oct 9 offering a possible $1,000 reward for information on the person who shot at the campaign office Pictured was an image of a silver SUV taken from surveillance video police received tips that led them to Kelly "That was a critical piece of information to help our investigators solve the case," McCoy said Officers began surveillance of him shortly afterward Phoenix fire crews were dispatched to a section of Chandler Boulevard in southeast Phoenix on Tuesday after an unknown substance was discovered on political signs Police said Kelly was "hanging suspicious bags of white powder from several political signs lined with razor blades that he posted in Ahwatukee." Kelly was observed posting anti-Democrat signs at various locations near his home on Monday evening and into Tuesday morning attached with clear plastic bags containing a white powdery substance with labels stating "biohazard." One sign stated Initial testing revealed the substance to be baking powder the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said Charges related to the incident were pending Who is Jeffrey Kelly?According to his attorney Kelly was an aerospace engineer with a high level of clearance that allowed him to have illegal weapons Records showed that Kelly has competed in shooting competitions and has made a few small-dollar donations to organizations backing presidential candidate Donald Trump this year Records also reported Kelly donated to Kari Lake's gubernatorial campaign in 2022 and is a registered Republican A social media profile indicated he worked at a sportsmen's club and gun range in Mesa and his release order included house arrest with an ankle monitor Phoenix attorney Paul Weich told The Republic he was running as a Democrat for state representative in Legislative District 12 in 2022 when he had a run-in with Kelly Prompted by several hundred dollars' worth of his campaign signs going missing in June 2022 Weich hired an investigator who he said found surveillance video catching Kelly in the act the investigator zeroed in on Kelly by the license plate on the vehicle he was traveling in Weich said the late-night video shows Kelly wearing a cap slashing the signs and then snatching them before stashing them in his garage Weich said the incidents started in the Ahwatukee Foothills area but vandalism and property theft of his signs eventually spread throughout the district the spliced-up signs were left at the entrance to Weich’s neighborhood "We weren’t sure what his motivations were in targeting my signs," Weich said Further sleuthing by the investigator revealed details Weich said impressed upon him that Kelly had "violent Christian nationalist conspiracy theory-type things in his head." Weich said the investigator unearthed Kelly’s employment at a shooting range and social media postings with a decidedly Christian nationalist bent He noted that Kelly lifted a Christian nationalist website meme paraphrasing a quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson about "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." The lawyer said he would regularly post about Jewish holidays on social media during his run for office His party affiliation was clear by the Democratic Party’s donkey logo on his campaign signs Despite evidence pointing to Kelly as the perpetrator Weich said law enforcement did not move to arrest him Weich said that Phoenix police feared that approaching Kelly would pose a threat to their safety A prosecutor out of the Phoenix City Attorney’s Office declined to pursue charges Phoenix police confirmed the case was turned down for prosecution after officers submitted charges for one count of theft and one count of political sign tampering Weich said he fears that Kelly managing to evade law enforcement may have pushed him to act further "We saw that he obviously felt emboldened," Weich said Marcos Rosales of the Phoenix Police Department addressed concerns at the Pecos Community Center Wednesday evening A monthly meeting at the center allows residents to voice their worries and be kept in the loop about crime in the area Leyvas assured attendees that the situation was being handled by Tempe police and federal agencies He outlined how the Phoenix Fire Department's hazmat team had tested the white substance found on the signs and found it harmless A community member asked if there was reason to believe others were working with Kelly but police said there was no reason to think so The biggest point of contention at the meeting was that more had not been done about Kelly two years ago "You knew who he was two years ago," Cliff Mager said "You came this close to walking us into some terrorist attack." (This story was updated with new information.) Karen Bartunek and Skylar Heisey contributed to this article On The Border- Mexican Grill & Cantina The company’s location tracker no longer has any Arizona restaurants on its map posted on their website there are four On The Border- Mexican Grill & Cantina Arizona locations still listed; three of them stating that they’re ‘permanently closed.’ ABC15 stopped at the ‘On The Border’ restaurant located at the Ahwatukee Foothills Towne Center in Phoenix This restaurant had several paper signs on the doors stating ‘This location is permanently closed. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank our customers. Please find another location at www.ontheborder.com.’ Another Mesa location, located at 1710 S Power Road, still lists online ordering via DoorDash but it doesn't appear to be taking orders We've made calls to the location and have been unable to reach anyone RESTAURANT CLOSINGS: Lou Malnati's Pizzeria closes two locations in the Valley ABC15 reached out to the company for confirmation/clarification on the sudden closures but has not received a response We will update our coverage with any new information as it becomes available Phoenix police were investigating a case of animal abuse at an Ahwatukee Foothills preschool where a family of three rabbits were apparently killed by an intruder around Halloween assistant director of God's Garden Preschool of Ahwatukee told The Arizona Republic on Saturday that the preschool's playground was broken into on Thursday evening or overnight Tobin reported that the intruder killed Sunny "They're just part of our school family," Tobin said about the bunnies adding that every day the preschool's children are "out there playing with the bunnies and feeding the bunnies." Tobin said the act was discovered by a teacher who arrived at 7:30 a.m She said the last person at the facility was a teacher who left at 5 p.m The preschool is on East Liberty Lane near South 14th Street adding there was "evidence that it was a person or people that did this." Phoenix police told The Republic on Saturday that officers responded to the school about an overnight incident where multiple acts of animal abuse had taken place The case remained an ongoing investigation Tobin said there were no signs of forced entry; however the zip ties securing the netted fencing of the large chicken coop-like pen where Sunny and Ruby were kept had been cut The rabbits' lifeless bodies were found lined up next to one another Tobin noted there was no blood or visible injuries on either of them and animal control would determine the cause of death.Charlie was found with his head decapitated and lying about a foot away from his body Tobin had constructed the pen in August to allow the children to enter and interact with Ruby and Sunny "We watched her (Sunny) grow from birth. So we are a bit devastated," read a post on the preschool's Facebook page Ruby and Charlie had been donated in the last few years "Our main priority is to determine how this impacts the safety of the school," the preschool's post read including those to and from the playground The preschool's post added that the children would be informed of the rabbits' death but would be spared any details "We hope to get more bunnies in the future but will be taking some time to grieve this tragedy and their loss," read the post (This story has been updated with new information and a photo.) Tempe police said they arrested a suspect Tuesday in connection with the three shooting incidents at the Democratic Party offices that began in September Police said the same person was "hanging suspicious bags of white powder from several political signs lined with razor blades that he posted in Ahwatukee" earlier in the day That incident was followed hours later by reports of an anthrax scare at Kari Lake's Senate campaign office in Phoenix Phoenix authorities did not report any injuries at Lake's office But it was the second time in the day that Phoenix's hazardous materials teams were called to investigate unknown suspicious substances aimed at political targets officers responded to the scene of the Democratic political signs in Ahwatukee Foothills It was not immediately known if the two hazmat incidents were connected is located near 40th Street and Camelback Road It was evacuated after a suspicious substance was found Lake's campaign said on social media that the office received a package labeled as anthrax Phoenix fire crews were dispatched to a section of Chandler Boulevard in southeast Phoenix after an unknown substance was discovered on political signs Authorities closed an area near Chandler Boulevard and 44th Street While no danger to the community was reported the Phoenix Fire Department confirmed the area was closed off as a precaution Based on images captured by other media outlets, it appeared there were signs critical of Democrats at the site. AZ Family showed signs reading An Arizona Democratic Party spokesperson declined to comment when reached by The Arizona Republic "All forms of hate speech reflect most poorly on the person writing it or causing it to be said," said state Sen the former chair of the Maricopa County Democratic Party who is still active in Democratic circles said Kamala Harris signs were smeared with a substance of some sort a Democrat who represents the Ahwatukee area said the issue involved hand-painted signs attached to palm trees Packages containing a suspicious substance were attached to the signs and appeared to be rigged to release a powdery substance A local man with a history of creating offensive hand-painted signs was known to the community and the police adding that a community action meeting was scheduled for 5:30 p.m "Phoenix PD will be looking into this incident and conducting any follow-up investigation but our response will always err on the side of caution," Phoenix police Sgt Tempe police reported three shootings in 20 days at the Democratic Party headquarters near Southern Avenue and Priest Drive The shootings involved BB gun and firearm rounds and damage included bullet holes in the glass front door and a window Investigators sought information about a "suspect vehicle" they thought might be a 2008-13 silver Toyota Highlander with a sunroof It is unclear how they connected the arrested person to the incidents Tempe police scheduled a news conference for 4 p.m Lake said her campaign office was targeted by a package labeled as anthrax The Phoenix Fire Department responded with a hazmat unit and evacuated the office potentially containing anthrax—an attempt to intimidate and silence me This isn't just about me; it’s an attack on our movement and those responsible must be brought to justice," Lake's post on social media read in part "I want to thank all the first responders and the hazmat team for their swift and professional response Lake posted a statement on X lambasting "the radical left" and "the mainstream media" while addressing the incident Lake's campaign also released a statement on X that read in part especially for the young staff members who volunteer their time to safeguard their future and serve a cause greater than themselves Her opponent, Gallego, also posted a statement on X that read, "I condemn any act of violence or threats against Kari Lake, her office, or other public officials. My thoughts are with the staffer involved, and I’m grateful for the swift response by @PhoenixPolice, @PHXFire I hope everything is resolved safely and quickly." Both incidents remained under active investigation by Phoenix fire and police with further details on the substances involved yet to be disclosed Perry Vandell and Karen Bartunek contributed to this article Corrections & Clarifications: Paul Weich’s campaign hired the private investigator Who hired the investigator and the origin of the video were incorrect in a previous version of the article This story also was updated to remove a video Two years before an Ahwatukee Foothills man was accused of terrorism for posting homemade political signs with bags of white powder falsely labeled as poison attached to them community members said they knew he had the potential for political violence Federal agents found an arsenal of weapons inside his home Officers said Kelly was showing a pattern of escalation he had weapons in his car and was potentially on his way to commit another politically motivated act Residents of the Ahwatukee Foothills community spoke at a meeting with the Phoenix Police Department criticizing officers for not taking their concerns more seriously in 2022 Kelly had been accused of stealing political signs for a Democratic candidate for a state legislative seat a regularly scheduled meeting between police and residents was dominated by concerns over Kelly's actions in 2022 "It should not just be 'boys will be boys and wackos will be wackos' type of thing," said Paul Weich a Phoenix attorney who sought a state House seat in 2022 Rick Leyvas said he was not the case agent at the time of the 2022 sign incident "I won't tell you how they surveilled him," Leyvas said at the meeting Weich was running for state representative on a Democratic ticket in Legislative District 12 in 2022 After finding shredded pieces of his campaign signs at the entrance of his neighborhood after consistent theft of his campaign signs people in Weich's campaign hired an investigator to catch the culprit the investigator took surveillance video catching Kelly in the act Weich alerted Phoenix police to that incident at the time The police submitted misdemeanor charges for one count of theft and one count of political sign tampering but a Phoenix prosecutor chose not to file charges Kelly was accused of shooting at the Democratic Party campaign office in Tempe three times in 2024 The first shooting used BB guns to shatter a glass window and door All took place around midnight when the office was empty Tempe police released a picture of a silver SUV captured from surveillance video and asked the public for tips Tempe police Chief Ken McCoy said the department received tips from people who recognized the SUV as being similar to the one driven by Kelly in 2022 McCoy said during a Wednesday news conference Detectives watched Kelly leave his home around 11 p.m Tuesday and begin posting the political signs around the Ahwatukee Foothills area detectives inspected the signs and found that some had blades used in a utility knife stuck around the edges Some also had baggies of white powder taped to the back and a crude message that indicated the substance was poison Police and federal agents stopped Kelly the next afternoon as he was leaving his home Authorities said that could indicate he didn't want his location tracked A prosecutor said at his arraignment that Kelly might have been on his way to potentially "do something" and that the cache of 120 weapons found at his home suggested he was preparing for a mass casualty event An attorney for Kelly denied the accusations during his arraignment and said Kelly collected the weapons as a "sportsman." Weich said Kelly's acts of vandalism should have been dealt with back in 2022 is what led us to this week's incidents," he said said that residents continued to monitor Kelly through his social media accounts made clear that he would commit further crimes against Democrats if given the chance "He was increasingly aggressive," Mager said and that information was handed to police on a silver platter." Most of the attendees declined to go on record with The Republic citing fear of inviting retribution from Kelly or like-minded individuals but they seemed unified in their description of what they viewed as Kelly's political extremism Some neighbors said they were aware he owned guns but understood him to be a hobbyist Weich said if anything positive came out of this was the possible recognition that acts such as vandalizing political signs should not be ignored "The threat to our democracy and elections is a real one," he said "Hopefully it's woken some people up that these kinds of things need to be taken seriously." A 26-year-old man died after a shooting near Ahwatukee Phoenix officers found Khamari Hodges dead with at least one gunshot wound Thursday near Guadalupe Road and Interstate 10 Officers also found a woman with injuries unrelated to gunshot wounds Police received a call about several gunshots being fired in the area around 4 p.m in the area north of the Ahwatukee Foothills neighborhood The Reeves family said they've heard all the rumors One of the most troublesome was that the fatal stabbing of Jaylen Reeves the 15-year-old Mountain Pointe High School athlete was in self-defense after Reeves attacked his killer on Nov 16 in Phoenix's upscale Ahwatukee Foothills neighborhood "There's a defense already for whoever was accosted for probable cause They're saying it was 'self-defense,' that's going to be pretty tough because of the stab wounds but there's a lot of information they're not giving us so it's hard for us to put anything together," Rene Reeves The mother of a teenage boy told The Arizona Republic on Nov. 20 her son was involved in the fatal stabbing of another teen in Ahwatukee and that their family is cooperating with authorities She implied there was an explanation for what happened at a lakeside park early Saturday morning and suggested the incident wasn't a result of malice really wish that I could tell you everything," the mother said "I think that anybody who knows him will be able to infer sort of what went on.” The Arizona Republic doesn't identify minors unless they are charged as adults "The teen provided a statement to investigators," department spokesperson Sgt "Detectives are actively working this investigation and to this point have interviewed multiple witnesses served search warrants and impounded many items of evidence." Rene Reeves referenced the "Gilbert Goons," saying he hoped the investigation would not take as much time to uncover and seek justice because we're going up against a bunch of money Money influences a lot of different people today even if it is someone who might be addicted to violence." which makes us all ask the question 'Why?'" Rene Reeves continued trying to figure out what happened because we're the ones in sorrow right now said she doesn't believe the self-defense theory Her knowledge of her grandson as a positive loving teen who called her "a boss" and inspired those around him negates that possibility We should have been able to discipline him for that Now those who did whatever they did need to have the same discipline We're not going to play high school telephone I'm not going to cater to the gossip," Medina-Reeves said Wednesday was the last day of the lakeside memorial that has stood as a poignant reminder of Jaylen Reeves Blocks from his house in a quiet Ahwatukee Foothills neighborhood The family has held a handful of vigils where friends and family have gathered to remember the high school football player According to a post in the private Ahwatukee 411 group on Facebook Wednesday's vigil would be the last due to the homeowner association's request that it be taken down Though the memorial site was not started by the family the Reeves family opted to lead a walk around the entirety of the lake a distance of about 2.2 miles with calls of "Justice for Jaylen." The call comes nearly two weeks after Reeves was stabbed repeatedly in a case that police have said they are thoroughly investigating The killing happened in a residential neighborhood near Lakewood Parkway and 38th Street shortly after 3 a.m Police found Reeves with multiple critical stab wounds after receiving calls about a teenage boy being stabbed during a fight between two groups of minors Reeves was rushed to the hospital and died later that evening surrounded by family and friends The incident shocked those who knew Reeves respectful athlete who wasn't one to get in trouble she said she was so proud of the person he was and that the turnout of support after his death was proof of his character Reeves' peers showed up in numbers and comforted one another at the memorial site "Jaylen was a really sweet and loving kid," Abigail Westermann a junior at a local high school and one of his best friends said recent teen violence in the area —at odds with the idyllic scenery and quiet appearance of the neighborhood — has been on the rise "We moved just to get out of the area because of the drugs a kid got shot last year at a Circle K and then there was something else that happened six months ago and now this," Westermann said who used to coach for Desert Vista High School said he had never seen rivalries between the two schools go as far as violence Though Reeves' family members have said they don't want to hinder the investigation by speculating about who killed him many of Reeves' friends and peers have said they believe they know who did Westermann said the rumor mill at multiple local high schools has been buzzing about the teen many believe is responsible for stabbing Reeves "Everyone knows everybody from both high schools Rumors are even spreading through Horizon High School and that's not even linked to these schools," Westermann said Westermann said her daughter identified a picture of the teen she and her friends said killed Reeves after she had seen it circulating amongst her peers the morning after the fight The daughter called the detective to report the lead She says she knows who did it," Westermann continued "and we're kind of shocked that no one is doing anything about it." 'This violence needs to stop': Teen football player fatally stabbed in Ahwatukee Developments in the case: Phoenix police interviewed teen involved in Ahwatukee stabbing; mom says family cooperating