Man used own Safeway rewards card after swiping SUV keys from store's break room, then torched car: Phoenix PD
Blake Alexander Hauff (Maricopa County)
PHOENIX - A Phoenix man’s alleged crime spree came to an abrupt end after he used his own Safeway loyalty rewards number during a theft before allegedly torching a stolen vehicle in a north Phoenix neighborhood, according to court documents.
What we know:
Blake Alexander Hauff, 31, was arrested on July 22 in Tucson and booked into a Maricopa County jail on felony arson charges. Detectives say Hauff left behind a trail of physical evidence, distinctive security camera footage and a self-incriminating store transaction after stealing an SUV and setting it ablaze.
Timeline:
The incident began on the evening of July 12 when authorities say Hauff entered a Safeway store on Apache Trail in Apache Junction. Surveillance cameras captured him wandering the aisles, slipping into the employee break room and searching through a locker. Police say Hauff pulled a set of car keys from an employee's purse inside the break room. Before leaving the store, Hauff bought an item at the register, entering his personal loyalty rewards phone number that identified him directly to store management. He then allegedly walked out to the parking lot and drove off in the victim's tan Chevrolet Suburban.
Just four hours later, early on the morning of July 13, Phoenix police officers responded to a vehicle fire near 26th Street and Kelton Lane, where they discovered the same Suburban engulfed in flames and heavily damaged. Investigators found a small red gas can in the street and observed fabric material sticking out of the vehicle’s open fuel tank compartment.
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Surveillance footage retrieved from a nearby guest house, located about 300 feet from the scene, showed a man matching Hauff’s physical description walking away from the burning vehicle around 1:30 a.m. Authorities noted the suspect had a unique appearance, wearing dark sweatpants with the left pant leg pulled up past his calf to reveal dark leggings underneath — the exact same outfit seen in the Safeway security video. Moments later, a small hatchback pulled up to pick him up less than a quarter-mile from his longtime girlfriend’s residence.
Investigators found Hauff in Tucson on July 22 and transported him back to Phoenix for questioning.
Dig deeper:
According to court records, Hauff admitted to stealing the Suburban from the grocery store and driving it to the Phoenix neighborhood. However, he denied setting the vehicle on fire, telling police that after he parked, several masked strangers with guns jumped out, took the car and drove away. When detectives confronted him with the fact that the SUV was already burning as he walked away to his ride, Hauff requested an attorney and ended the interview.
What's next:
Hauff remains in custody facing a felony arson charge, with additional theft charges pending from the Apache Junction Police Department.
Where police found the SUV inferno:
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Maricopa County Superior Court records.