A California man was arrested Thursday for allegedly making death threats against Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona.
Stephen Crow, 35, allegedly called the Maricopa Police Department Wednesday night and said he was going to take over the county and kill Sheriff Arpaio, calling him a “racist” and “Hitler,” Phoenix-based KTVK reported.
Investigators reportedly traced Mr. Crow’s cellphone to a Winnetka hotel, where he was taken into custody by Los Angeles police.
“Stephen Crow did come to the door of the hotel. He did admit to making the calls,” said MCSO Det. Brian Mackiewicz. “He was very proud that he threatened the sheriff, and since then he’s been very uncooperative.”
Mr. Crow has spent at least four separate stints in Sheriff Arpaio’s jails on charges of shoplifting, threatening and intimidating. He has also spent time in a Pennsylvania prison for making terroristic threats, the Phoenix station reported.
Mr. Crow was reportedly being held in a Los Angeles County jail Thursday evening on $50,000 bond.
The sheriff was scheduled to be in California Thursday for a speech, his office said.
“We took this threat very serious[ly], because we didn’t know if the suspect was actually waiting for the sheriff in L.A. or in California to carry out this threat,” Det. Mackiewicz said.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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