MESA, Ariz. - A Maricopa man is behind bars after allegedly leading police on a foot chase and being stunned following a brazen daytime catalytic converter heist that uncovered a stash of 14 stolen car parts and a hidden firearm, authorities said.
What we know:
William Eugene Lightfoot, 41, was being held on a $100,000 bond Wednesday following his arrest in Mesa. Lightfoot is charged with second- and third-degree burglary, possessing burglary tools, trading used catalytic converters, theft and resisting arrest.
Timeline:
According to Maricopa County court documents, Mesa police officers responded Tuesday morning to a report of a catalytic converter being stolen from a Ford Excursion. A witness reported seeing three men remove the car part, load it into a black Ford Ranger and flee the scene.
Police quickly spotted the truck traveling west on Broadway Road and initiated a traffic stop at a nearby gas station. While the driver and owner of the truck complied with officers, Lightfoot and a third male suspect fled the scene on foot.
William Eugene Lightfoot (Maricopa County)
A search of the truck bed revealed 14 stolen catalytic converters. Inside the pickup truck, officers found a reciprocating saw, multiple saw blades and a black handgun holstered beneath the driver’s seat. The co-defendant allegedly admitted to the thefts under interrogation and told police that Lightfoot had been carrying a gun in his waistband during the crime spree.
Surveillance video from a local business owner corroborated the witnesses. The footage showed a suspect matching Lightfoot's description getting out of the vehicle with a reciprocating saw, walking toward the victim's car and returning moments later with a catalytic converter.
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Lightfoot was tracked to a residential area after a homeowner on West Main Street reported a man in their backyard discarding his shoes and gloves. Police recovered those items along with a wallet and two credit cards identifying Lightfoot.
Officers ultimately found Lightfoot near Dobson Road and University Drive. Police allege that Lightfoot "passively resisted arrest by pulling his body away and failing to comply [with] lawful commands."
"An officer utilized his department-issued taser to gain the defendant's compliance," read a portion of the court documents.
During police questioning, Lightfoot admitted to running from the traffic stop and stealing the catalytic converters, referring to them by the common slang term "cats," according to the probable cause statement.
Dig deeper:
Judge Cindi S. Nannetti noted that a court evaluation flagged Lightfoot as being at the absolute highest risk for causing trouble or skipping town if he were to be released before his trial.
What's next:
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 25.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Mesa Police Department and Maricopa County Superior Court.