9OYS Crime Watch
Traffic stop arrest leads detectives to homicide suspect
Web Producer: Ina Ronquillo
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - A traffic stop arrest by the Arizona Department of Public Safety has lead Tucson Police detectives to the arrest of 21-year-old Eric Jones in connection with the death of 41-year-old Robert Chance.
Sgt. Chris Widmer tells KGUN9 that on October 1, hours after the death of Chance occurred near Broadway Boulevard and Alvernon Way, an off-duty Tucson Police Officer was driving his personal vehicle on Interstate 10 when he noticed a vehicle drive past him in the excess of 100 miles per hour.
The officer attempted to catch up with the vehicle to obtain a license plate. The speeding vehicle passed a Department of Public Safety Officer on a traffic stop. The DPS officer left his traffic stop to pursue the speeding vehicle.
The DPS Officer was able to stop the vehicle and made contact with the driver. The off-duty Tucson Police Officer stopped to assist the DPS officer and advise him of what he had seen. The DPS officer immediately detained the suspect, who was later identified as Jones.
Jones was driving a vehicle that was determined to be stolen. A handgun was found on the driver’s seat of the vehicle. He was booked into Pima County Jail by DPS for charges related to the incident.
Through their investigation, Tucson Police Detectives were able to identify Jones as the suspect in the shooting death that occurred at Broadway Boulevard and Alvernon Way.
Detectives learned Jones was in custody at the Pima County Jail on unrelated charges. They went to the jail and recovered items of evidence from the shooting and determined that the handgun DPS recovered from Jones was the weapon used in the homicide.
Jones has a criminal history that includes aggravated assault on police officers and a recent unprovoked stabbing incident that occurred downtown which resulted in serious injury.
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