Weekend wrap-up: Here are the biggest Arizona stories from Sept. 30-Oct. 2
Oct 2, 2022, 6:00 PM
PHOENIX — A woman was arrested in Arizona with 36 kilograms of fentanyl pills, a Triassic reptile found in the Petrified Forest was named after a former park superintendent and his wife and the FBI is seeking a man for questioning in the assault of a police officer.
Here are some of the biggest stories that headlined the Arizona news cycle over the weekend.
Woman arrested in Arizona with 36 kilograms of fentanyl pills
A woman was arrested in Arizona after approximately 36 kilograms of fentanyl were seized from the vehicle she was in during a traffic stop.
Maria Fernanda Granillo-Velasquez of Mexico, 21, was charged in August for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona said in a press release.
A criminal complaint alleges that Granillo-Velasquez was pulled over on Interstate 10 in Pinal County by sheriffs for a traffic stop of the vehicle she was driving and the sole occupant of.
Triassic reptile discovered at Arizona’s Petrified Forest named after former park superintendent
A Triassic reptile species discovered at Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona was named after a former park superintendent and his wife in the peer-reviewed scientific article that published Wednesday.
The reptile is called Puercosuchus traverorum after Brad and Denise Traver — who supported paleontology efforts in the park — and the Puerco River in Arizona, according to a press release.
Park paleontologists discovered the bones during a guided Girl Scout hike in the Blue Mesa area in 2014.
Over 500 skeletal elements of nine individuals of varying size were found at the Petrified Forest bone bed excavated in 2014 and 2015.
FBI seeks man for questioning in assault of Arizona police officer
The FBI and Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department are asking the public to help locate a man wanted for questioning in the assault of an Arizona police officer.
Kyle Wayne Welsh, 40, could have information regarding a subject who allegedly rammed into a patrol vehicle during a traffic stop two years ago in Parker, according to the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office.
The incident happened Feb. 27, 2020, near Highway 95 and Airport Drive.
Bell Bank Park sees more than 3M in attendance over first 9 months
Legacy Sports USA announced Thursday more than 3 million visitors have attended Bell Bank Park in its first nine months of operations.
The 320-acre facility located at Ellsworth and Pecos roads near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport topped venues across the Valley in terms of overall attendance, according to a press release.
It sits at 25th in attendance among sports facilities in the nation, following behind venues like Fenway Park and Dodger Stadium, park management said.
Mesa driver taken to hospital after vehicle strikes pole, crashes into canal
A man in Mesa was taken to the hospital after his vehicle struck a street light and crashed into an irrigation canal Saturday, authorities said.
The single-vehicle accident happened near Main Street and Gilbert Road just before 12 p.m., the Mesa Police Department said.
When authorities arrived, bystanders were rendering aid as the driver was in water that was about 2-2.5 feet deep, authorities said.
