Shirtless senior arrested after pelting cars with rocks on Phoenix highway and fleeing into desert: Troopers
PHOENIX - A 64-year-old homeless man is behind bars after allegedly hurling rocks at passing vehicles along the Carefree Highway, damaging several cars and endangering multiple drivers, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
What we know:
Troopers responded on the night of Oct. 20 to State Route 74 after 911 callers reported a shirtless pedestrian throwing stones directly at moving traffic. By the time authorities arrived, the suspect had struck and damaged at least five vehicles, impacting seven victims.
Adam Clayton stands in the desert off State Route 74 as troopers move in to make an arrest. (AZDPS Highway Patrol)
When troopers reached the scene, the suspect fled on foot into the open desert. Troopers chased the man and ultimately took him into custody.
Court records identify the suspect as Adam Clayton, a 64-year-old homeless man, who was booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Lower Buckeye Jail on Wednesday morning.
He is being held on a $25,000 bond on six felony charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, and five counts of felony criminal damage.
Dig deeper:
The records show that Clayton has a history of aggravated assault and criminal damage convictions in Maricopa County dating back to 2011.
An Arizona State Trooper takes suspect Adam Clayton into custody in the desert on Oct. 20. (AZDPS Highway Patrol)
What's next:
Clayton is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Oct. 27.
What they're saying:
DPS officials are urging all motorists to immediately report any reckless behavior witnessed on Arizona roads to 911. "Throwing objects at moving vehicles isn't a prank. It can cause serious crashes, injuries or fatalities," officials said.
Similar call turned deadly in 2018
The backstory:
Freeway calls involving rock-throwers have turned deadly for Arizona law enforcement in the past. In July 2018, rookie DPS Trooper Tyler Edenhofer was killed after responding to reports of a pedestrian hurling rocks at vehicles along Interstate 10 near Avondale.
Man sentenced in killing of DPS Trooper Tyler Edenhofer
The man who pleaded guilty in the killing of an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper over seven years ago was sentenced to decades in prison on Aug. 14.
During that 2018 confrontation, suspect Isaac King fought with responding officers, wrestled away a trooper’s gun, and shot Edenhofer while injuring two other troopers. King pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced in August 2025 to more than 35 years in state prison. "This is why my son is no longer with us, some kid throwing rocks at cars on the freeway," his mother, Debbie Edenhofer, reacted to the arrest. "I can’t understand … Great job troopers getting him in custody without harm to any of my brothers and sisters."
What we don't know:
Regarding the Carefree Highway incident, authorities have not yet released a mugshot for Clayton, and it remains unclear what motivated the act or whether any of the motorists or passengers suffered physical injuries from shattered glass or vehicle impacts.
Area where several vehicles were struck by rocks on Oct. 20:
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Maricopa County Superior Court records, and FOX 10 Phoenix archives.