ARIZONA NEWS

Man arrested for climbing on top of light rail in downtown Phoenix

Apr 5, 2019, 7:11 AM | Updated: 5:52 pm

PHOENIX — A man was arrested for climbing on top of a Valley Metro light rail platform in downtown Phoenix early Friday, causing traffic to come to a halt during rush hour.

Michael Franco, 34, is facing charges of trespassing, criminal damage and disorderly conduct for the incident near Central Avenue and Roosevelt Street.

Sgt. Tommy Thompson said authorities were called to the area around 1:15 a.m. in response to someone yelling and found Franco on top of a metal structure, about 25 feet above the platform.

Officers attempted to talk him down, but he allegedly refused and instead climbed across the structure.

“As he moved about, he broke off several lightning rods from the structure, threatening to throw them at the officers,” Thompson said in an email.

Franco was eventually talked down from the platform around 7:15 a.m. and booked into the Maricopa County jail. He also had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest.

Central Avenue was closed from Garfield to Portland streets and Roosevelt Street was closed from First Street to First Avenue during the incident.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

election results...

Kevin Stone

Arizona Legislature sends bill to speed up election results to Gov. Hobbs

The Arizona Legislature on Thursday sent a bill designed to speed up election results to the desk of Gov. Katie Hobbs, who has indicated she would veto it.

5 minutes ago

A lottery ticket from an Avondale Fry's won $50,000 in a recent Powerball drawing....

Kevin Stone

Lottery ticket from West Valley supermarket wins $50,000 in Powerball

A lottery ticket purchased at an Avondale supermarket won $50,000 in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing.

1 hour ago

vaccinating chickens egg prices...

Kevin Stone

Arizona egg farmer wants to vaccinate chickens from bird flu, but government won’t allow it

A prominent Arizona egg farmer says vaccinating chickens from the bird flu would lower prices, but the federal government won’t allow it.

2 hours ago

Valley events calendar...

KTAR.com

Valley events calendar: Here’s a rundown of things to do around metro Phoenix

Our Valley events calendar keeps you up to date on the wide variety of activities across the Phoenix area.

4 hours ago

The evacuation order for the Brady Fire was lifte on Wednesday....

KTAR.com

Evacuation order lifted for residents near Brady Fire south of Prescott

The evacuation order for a community threatened by the Brady Fire south of Prescott was lifted on Wednesday evening, authorities said.

6 hours ago

off-road vehicle crash...

Kevin Stone

2nd teen in off-road vehicle crash at Phoenix canal has died

The second teen involved in an off-road vehicle crash at a Phoenix canal last week has died, authorities announced Wednesday.

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Collins Comfort Masters

Collins Comfort Masters: Your go-to plumbing experts in Arizona

Collins Comfort Masters, a trusted name in HVAC, water and plumbing since 1985, is you go-to plumbers for the residents of Phoenix and the Valley.

...

Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax

How to optimize the most money in 2024 tax returns

As tax season begins, getting your financials in order is important to maximize your tax return.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How IRAs are a helpful tool in retirement planning

When it comes to retirement planning, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a great tool for income growth.

Man arrested for climbing on top of light rail in downtown Phoenix