State Glance

Drone carrying drugs, cellphones crashes at Arizona prison

BUCKEYE — Guards at the state prison in Buckeye recovered a crashed drone that was trying to deliver marijuana and cellphones to inmates.

Arizona Department of Corrections officials say the homemade drone crashed in a security zone at the Lewis prison that’s not accessible to inmates.

The incident occurred during the night on Sept. 24, but hasn’t been discussed by authorities until now.

Investigators have been unable to trace the origin of the drone or who was controlling it, but will rely on DNA fingerprints that could lead to that person.

They say if anyone is caught, they will face a felony that carries a prison sentence of up to five years.

Corrections officials say the incident is the first known encounter of a drone at an Arizona prison.

Phoenix man admits to trying to steal train

PHOENIX — A Phoenix man was close to turning a locomotive into his own runaway train.

Police say 20-year-old Julio Rodriguez was arrested earlier this month after trying to steal a train from a railyard just south of downtown Phoenix.

Union Pacific Railyard workers say they were alarmed when they heard the train horn Nov. 8 and went to investigate.

They discovered Rodriguez, who was actually released from jail earlier that day, sitting in the engineer’s seat.

Employees removed him and found he had moved levers and pushed buttons.

They say he was one pedal away from actually moving the train.

According to court documents, Rodriguez admitted to trying to steal the train.

He faces charges of theft of means of transportation and burglary.