Dog poop
A small dog’s bathroom habits led to a big meltdown on Halloween morning. Cory Kroeger, 46, didn’t take kindly to a neighbor’s dog doing its business on his Rancho El Dorado lawn. So, he drove to the woman’s house on Van Loo Drive and threatened to kill her and her pooch. Apparently, the dog’s poop and pee were enough to send Kroeger into a rage. When authorities later found him near his home on Allen Court, he was still shouting about another dog. Now, Kroeger faces serious charges, including threatening to murder, and could be looking at 18 months behind bars. The case is still making its way through the court system.
Credit card
A domestic argument over a credit card quickly escalated into something much darker in February. Chuong Bui, 60, found himself in the Pinal County jail after allegedly threatening to kill his girlfriend and daughters with a knife. The dispute began when his girlfriend took his credit cards, and Bui reportedly grabbed a knife, threatening to kill them all. One daughter told police she overheard Bui’s threats and saw him wielding the knife near her room. Bui was arrested at his home on Cowpath Road, but the charges were later dropped.
Sobriety
Taunya Gonzales’ February outburst took a disturbing turn when she allegedly threatened to murder her boyfriend and children. Around 1 a.m., she is said to have brandished a knife and stabbed the door to a bedroom where the scared family members were hiding. The boyfriend said Gonzales, intoxicated and angry after he refused to get drunk with her, punched him and chased them into the room. She eventually surrendered — but only after the authorities hinted they might sic the police dog, K9 Karma, on her. Now facing serious charges, Gonzales could be behind bars for more than 16 years. An examination of court documents revealed Gonzales was granted a $500 bond. No other facts were available.
Refusing sex
A drunken tantrum over being denied sex led Zachary A. LeClair, 20, to threats and violence in March, according to Maricopa police. Officers arrived at a Porter Road apartment just before midnight to find a crying baby and shattered calm. LeClair’s girlfriend accused him of strangling her, destroying her phone and threatening a murder spree if she called the police. Surveillance footage captured his rampage, including shoving her into a shower while their child cried in another room. Claiming he was the victim, LeClair faced domestic violence charges, which were later dismissed.
Doing the dishes
A 56-year-old Maricopa mom’s fury over unwashed dishes escalated to baseball bat beatings and a knife chase, authorities said. Gloria L. Cobbs, of Homestead, allegedly threatened to kill her son for skipping chores, telling dispatchers she wanted him “gone before she kills him.” Police arrived on a Sunday in July to find Cobbs screaming, her son claiming she tried to discipline him first by beating him with a baseball bat, then attacking him with a kitchen knife. Dispatch audio captured Cobbs demanding he give her bat back so she could continue beating him with it. Officers arrested her on weapons, threatening and endangerment charges. Cobbs entered into a plea agreement where the terms were undisclosed.
Homophobia
A family dispute over love and lifestyle turned dangerous in July, when Maricopa police arrested Tiffany D. Parron for allegedly threatening to shoot and kill her mother during an argument. The clash erupted at a Senita home after Parron’s mother disapproved of her daughter’s homosexual relationship. Police say Parron pulled a 9-millimeter handgun from a cabinet and made murder threats, though she later blamed the incident on confusion from her playing “Call of Duty.” Her girlfriend, who initially claimed the gun was locked in a safe, didn’t help the case when she cracked and admitted to the police that Parron wielded the firearm. Parron is now serving out an undisclosed term of supervised parole on weapons charges.
Trans hysteria
Maricopa police descended on a Homestead home in July after a chilling email falsely claimed its sender had murdered their family and planned a mass shooting in the city. The email, titled “My Manifesto,” reached the mayor, her assistant and the city council members, accusing them of anti-transgender oppression. Signed by “Raelynn,” the sender declared vengeance using their “dad’s guns.” Investigators quickly confirmed it was a swatting hoax, traced to an anonymous dark web email. Authorities slammed the prank as a “dangerous hoax” that risked lives and wasted resources. The culprit remains at large, facing hefty penalties if caught.
