State Glance
Border agent facing trial for hitting migrant gets plea deal
TUCSON — A Border Patrol agent accused of using his vehicle to knock over a fleeing Guatemalan migrant nearly two years ago in Arizona has reached a plea agreement.
Matthew Bowen was scheduled to go on trial Monday in U.S. District Court in Tucson for the December 2017 incident in Nogales, Arizona.
Court records show Bowen has pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law, a misdemeanor. He’s scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 15.
Bowen’s attorney told the court last week that Bowen has resigned from the Border Patrol. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials suspended Bowen indefinitely in June 2018 shortly after he was indicted.
Bowen’s case drew widespread attention after his alleged text messages from November 2017 calling migrants “savages” and “subhuman” were included in a court filing.
1 arrest in mall robbery that prompted evacuation
PHOENIX — Phoenix police have made one arrest in a mall robbery that some had feared was a shooting.
Sgt. Maggie Cox said Monday that 31-year-old Edward Ahumada has been booked into Maricopa County Jail on a burglary charge.
Officers responded to Desert Sky Mall just before 1 p.m. Sunday after receiving reports of shots fired.
Police learned two suspects had used a metal tool to repeatedly break open a glass display at a store. The suspects reportedly left with some items in a dark colored car.
Cox says several people mistook the glass breaking for gunfire. But the incident led police to briefly evacuate the west Phoenix mall.
With assistance from Peoria police, investigators located the car and arrested Ahumada.
Bullhead City man arrested in mother’s stabbing death
BULLHEAD CITY, — A Bullhead City man is accused of stabbing his mother to death after the two got into a fight.
Bullhead City police say 43-year-old Travers Wesley Proulx has been booked into Mohave County Jail on first-degree murder and other charges.
Investigators say officers and paramedics found 74-year-old Bette Vaughn dead of multiple stab wounds at a home around 4:15 a.m. Sunday.
According to family members, her screams woke up the suspect’s brother. Travers then threatened to kill the brother and his stepfather before fleeing on foot.
Police searching the area followed a tip that Travers was hiding at a nearby home. He was found and immediately arrested.