Suspicious vehicle investigation leads to arrest of driver
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Tucson Police have determined that there are no explosives in a white box-truck parked near downtown. Bomb Squad technicians did locate ammunition, guns, and military clothing inside. Video by kgun9.com
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Photo courtesy of Alex Maldonado.
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Photo courtesy of Alex Maldonado.
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Photo courtesy of anonymous KGUN9 viewer.
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Photo courtesy of Alex Maldonado.
Reporter: Jessica Chapin
Web Producer: Ina Ronquillo
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Tucson Police determined that there were no explosives in a white box-truck parked near downtown after closing the area while they investigated. Bomb Squad technicians did locate ammunition, guns, and military clothing inside.
Officers arrested the driver of the vehicle, 50 year-old David J. Mitchell of Sahaurita on a misdemeanor charge related to a court order violation.
Maria Hawke, a spokesperson with Tucson Police tells KGUN9 police were contacted by U.S. Marshall's after a K9 showed "interest" in a white box truck at Broadway Boulevard and Scott Avenue.
"It happened to be the location where he parked at, the proximity to the building, the amount of time that it was there, those types of things that sparked the Marshall's concerns and that spawned the series of events," said Hawke.
Bomb Squad personnel responded to area to determine if there was risk of explosion associated with the vehicle. After finding there was no immediate danger, police continued their investigation and kept roads closed. 9 On Your Side's Jessica Chapin asked officers why it took so long after determining there were no explosives.
"There was a large amount of material in the back of that truck," said Hawke, "We need to inventory and go through all of the stuff, document it to ensure that there's nothing that could be harmful to any of our personnel or the community."
By being in possesion of the guns and ammunition, detectives have determined that Mitchell was in violation of a court order from an unrelated incident. Mitchell was booked into the Pima County adult detention center.
The roadways in the area opened after 5 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. Detectives are still conducting an investigation into whether any explosive components or materials were inside the load of material in the truck.
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