Graves: Exhaustive police work led to freeway shooter arrest

Calling it the work of exhaustive police work, Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves provided details Saturday as to how law enforcement was able to connect Leslie Allen Merritt Jr. to the first four reported shootings on Interstate 10.

Merritt, 21, of Glendale was arrested Friday night shortly before 7 p.m. near the Wal-Mart in the 5700 block of W Northern Avenue.

Earlier Saturday, Merritt had his initial appearance in Maricopa County Superior Court which he was charged with four counts each of drive-by shooting, intentional acts of terrorism, aggravated assault involving a deadly weapon, criminal damage, endangerment, discharging of a firearm within the city limits and disorderly conduct involving a weapon.

Merritt is being held on a $1 million cash bond.

Graves said the arrest was the result of a, “very long investigation,” that combined efforts of federal and local law enforcement agencies that worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week to bring the case to a close.

“Today we are seeing the end results of some incredible police work,” he said.

According to Graves, the process started Wednesday when detectives began going to pawn shops looking for a particular handgun. Graves did not elaborate what type of handgun it is. He added that detectives then began reviewing a list of pawn shops that purchased or loaned money from any firearms that matched the make and caliber of the handgun identified by the DPS crime lab.

DPS detectives then collected the firearms that matched the search and investigative research was then conducted on the suspect who pawned one of the firearms collected.

Graves said the crime lab test fired the gun pawned by the suspect and test fired bullets were a match to four bullet fragments from the first four cases over the last weekend of August.

“We have evidence that does justify that Lesile Allen Merritt Jr. is the prime suspect in at least four of these incidents,” Graves said.

Graves added that at this point the other incidents have nothing to do with the suspect but added that the case is still ongoing.

“I think nothing has been ruled out at this point,” he said. “This is ongoing. This has not been wrapped up in terms of the incidents that occurred in the last weekend of August.”

Of the 11 total incidents that DPS have confirmed in connection with the rash of shootings on Interstate 10, one incident includes a reported road rage incident and the others include projectiles hitting vehicles. Graves said the investigation is still ongoing and the $50,000 reward is still available. He added the overhead signs will continue to advertise the tip line.

“We are still interested in any additional information leading to the arrest of any suspect in those two other scenarios that have been mentioned by director  (Col. Frank) Milstead,” Graves said.  “Copycats are possible and that’s why we will work to investigate and that’s why we will work to continue to solicit the public’s help in the tip line and phoning in those tips. We still have detectives working those cases. At this point it’s about tying up all these lose ends.”

During his initial court appearance, Merritt spoke after being warned that he should not, saying that he’s “the wrong guy” and he hasn’t had access to his guns for two months.

“The evidence as you will see, speaks for itself,” Graves said of what Merritt said. “This case is in the justice system and we will be working with the county attorney’s office from this point on regarding this case.”