Kidnapping suspect dies
Man attempted suicide in jail earlier this month
Eric Maes has died less than a week after a suicide attempt in jail. He had been accused of kidnapping his 10-month-old and killing the child’s mother.
Eric Ryan Maes, who was suspected of kidnapping his 10-month-old son and killing the child’s mother Feb. 9, died less than a week after a suicide attempt in jail, according to the Maricopa
County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office website stated Maes died Friday, and the manner of death and cause of death are listed as pending. A report is not yet available.
Peoria police spokesperson Amanda Gaines referred The Arizona Republic to the Maricopa County Sheriff ’s Office for confirmation, which said it could not confirm any information because Maes was released from custody.
Maes, 30 of Sun City, was arrested Feb. 10 after Peoria police officials say he kidnapped his son, of whom he does not have custody, on Feb. 9 and killed the boy’s mother, Brittany Martie, when she grabbed onto the fleeing vehicle and fell off.
The incident generated an Amber Alert, which was later canceled when the boy was found safe in Phoenix.
Maes was taken to a hospital Feb. 13 after trying to kill himself in jail, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff ’s Office, which did not release details about what happened. He was hospitalized due to injuries.
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge on Feb. 18 dismissed criminal charges against Maes so his family could make medical decisions for him, confirmed the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors agreed to file the motion to dismiss after receiving a phone call from Maes’ family and learning that the suicide attempt left him “medically incapacitated” and that they were having difficulty making decisions for his medical care while he was still in custody, according to the Office.
While officials did not reveal any details about Maes’ condition at the time, the family of the baby’s mother, Martie, told The Arizona Republic that Maes may have been brain-dead.
What we know about kidnapping
According to police, Maes on Feb. 9 showed up at the Peoria home of his sister and brother-in-law, who were babysitting the child for Martie in the area of 91st Avenue and Deer Valley Road.
Martie was loading the baby into a minivan when Peoria police say Maes jumped into the driver’s seat and drove off with the child inside.
Witnesses told investigators that they saw Martie clinging to the minivan before she was thrown off and later found wrapped around a fire hydrant. Authorities found Martie in extremely critical condition and took her to a hospital where she died from her injuries later that evening.
Maes was later found and arrested Feb. 10 in the area of 23rd Avenue and Thunderbird Road. He faced charges of first-degree premeditated murder, endangerment, theft of a means of transportation and kidnapping after allegedly admitting to investigators that he “intentionally” ran over Martie.
Although Maes was released from custody, because the Superior Court judge dismissed the case without prejudice, state prosecutors said they had the ability to refile charges against him in the future if his condition improved.
A GoFundMe organized for Martie had raised more than $11,000 as of Monday.
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge on Feb. 18 dismissed criminal charges against Maes so his family could make medical decisions for him.
Resources for Arizonans in crisis
If you are in crisis or know someone who is, there are services available to help:
Dial 2-1-1 to reach 211 Arizona. The same number will connect callers to Resilient
Arizona Crisis Counseling Program.
The National Suicide Prevention Line is available 24/7 at 1-800-2738255 in English and 1-888-628-9454 in Spanish. It’s free and confidential for those in distress who need prevention or crisis resources for themselves or loved ones.
La Frontera Empact Suicide Prevention Center’s crisis line serves Maricopa and Pinal counties 24/7 at 480784-1500.
Arizona Coalition to End Sexual & Domestic Violence at 602-279-2980. Text 911 if you cannot speak.
Teen Lifeline’s 24/7 crisis line serves teens at 602-248-8336 for Maricopa County and 1-800-248-8336 statewide.
The Trevor Project Lifeline serves LGBTQ youth at 866-488-7386.
There is much to see and appreciate in Arizona’s natural resources. Water flowing through washes, creeks, rivers and springs sustains life in this hot, dry state. Protecting these waterways, crucial to all life in a desert environment, is an important priority for most Arizonans.
A recent Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust poll showed that 64% of Arizonans believe “protecting the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of slowing growth.” Nearly 9 in 10 believe the environmental issues facing Arizona are either “very serious” or “serious.”
Climate change and unchecked human uses of surface and groundwater are drying up our rivers. The Pulliam Trust poll ranked sustaining flows for rivers and wildlife as a high priority.
Clearly, most Arizonans want more protection for rivers. Yet this is not reflected in current water policy, management or law. Protecting riparian habitat, ephemeral streams and rivers in a more meaningful way must be included in water management systems.
Protecting flows for rivers is not just for the environment; all human uses depend on sustainable, flowing rivers. As many recent articles about the Colorado River underscore, rapid climate change is requiring that we ask hard questions, now, about both our water supply and ways of managing water.
The watershed health bill, one of several bills before the Arizona Legislature attempting to modernize dangerously outdated state water laws, aligns with best water management practices taking shape around the world.
Current Arizona water laws manage surface water by beneficial use, and include a “use it or lose it” policy. Use the full amount of water conveyed with the right (applied toward a beneficial use) or the right reverts back to the state.
The watershed health bill (Senate Bill 1474 and House Bill 2740) adds watershed health as a beneficial use, allowing those with surface water rights to voluntarily transfer that conserved water to the river, benefiting the health of the watershed.
This bill would give businesses that rely on flowing streams the option of keeping more water in the streams for their future use and for future generations. It would also require the Arizona Department of Water Resources to assess the health and water needs of the state’s watersheds, providing valuable data that is currently missing from water policy and management decisions.
A lot has changed in Arizona since the 1980 Groundwater Management Act. We are a hotter and drier place now; our rivers, streams and springs are more stressed from overuse, drought and climate change. But water management laws have not kept pace, putting Arizona’s economy and quality of life at risk.
Lake Mead levels are dropping due to less snowpack and drier conditions along the Colorado River. Our other rivers are also receiving less water and cannot replenish flows to equal what is lost through groundwater pumping.
Water in our rivers and streams comes from precipitation runoff, snow melt and groundwater that slowly flows underground into the river. When groundwater levels drop, less is available to flow into our rivers. Nature does not separate surface water and groundwater; they are connected, but current Arizona water law does not recognize this.
Our few remaining perennial rivers, such as the San Pedro, are disappearing due to unsustainable groundwater pumping. Achieving sustainable water supplies requires the management of both surface and groundwater in ways that recognize that they are connected.
The Department of Water Resources’ stated mission is to “ensure a long-term, sufficient and secure water supply for the State by promoting, allocating and comprehensively managing in an environmentally and economically sound manner the rights and interests of the State’s surface water resources for the citizens of Arizona.”
Arizonans want their rivers and associated ecosystems protected. Municipal, agriculture, mining and other human uses of water depend on flowing rivers. The watershed health bill is a voluntary option to support stream flows.
It is time to utilize this and other creative ways to balance water use under these changing climate conditions to ensure a safe, sustainable supply of water for all.
Kristen Wolfe is a coordinator with Sustainable Water Network, a coalition that aims to elevate public discussion on water reforms in Arizona. Reach her at kmwolfe86@gmail.com.