Sometime during the night of Sept. 25, 2014, a cow on a ranch near Union Hills and Tatum died a horrible death.

“They found 13 softballs around this cow,” said Phoenix Police Sgt. Derek Elmore. “Someone used something like a water balloon launcher or potato launcher and caused internal injuries to the cow. It was something more powerful than just throwing the ball with their arm.”

The softballs had Desert Shadows Middle School markings on them.

Sergeant Elmore said it’s a serious crime.

“You know, animal cruelty is something we look at very hard. If they’re young kids that are doing this then we’re particularly concerned. We want to make sure they’re getting the kind of help and treatment they need so this type of behavior stops.”

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Our next case involves an obviously intense nicotine craving. It happened near Seventh Avenue and the Loop 101, in the early morning of Sept. 21, 2014.

A suspect entered a Circle K then tied-up the clerk and another person in the store with zip ties and had them sit on the floor.

“The suspect then used zip-ties to lock the door and he put up the closed sign,” said Burch. “He then loaded up on cigarettes and the coins from a coin machine tray and took off without taking any cash from the registers.”

A car and a getaway driver were waiting for him in the parking lot.

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