Sheriff’s deputies were sent to a residence south of Safford Saturday evening in reference to a teenage girl who had taken her father’s car in an attempt to run away. The girl had reportedly stopped taking her medication and was apparently in a psychosis state of mind. A crisis team was at the home and had been trying to work with the girl when she jumped into the car and drove away. In the process she backed up and struck the right knee of a member of the crisis team. The man told authorities that he was not injured and did not want to be a victim.
The girl’s sister told deputies that she got behind the vehicle to try and prevent the girl from backing up but the girl wouldn’t stop, forcing the sister to get out of the way. The sister then got in front of the vehicle in an attempt to prevent the girl from leaving, but had move out of the way when the girl didn’t stop.
The girl’s father said that she has run away before, but this was the first time she had taken a car. He told authorities that he didn’t want any charges brought against his daughter, he just wanted her to get treatment at a mental health facility.
A deputy contacted T-Mobile to request a ping on the girl’s cell phone but the provider said they were not able to provide a ping. Witnesses said she was last seen traveling south down Stockton Road. Deputies patrolled the area around the fairgrounds but were unable to locate the girl or the vehicle.
By Sunday morning the family had located the vehicle in the area of East Hollywood Road near the residence of her ex-boyfriend. A deputy made contact at the residence, where the missing girl was found in a bedroom. The deputy told the girl she needed to come with him but she refused. The deputy took hold of the girl’s arm to escort her out of the residence but the girl slugged him in the nose. The deputy told her that she had just committed a felony and was under arrest.
The girl again refused and sat down on the bed. The deputy saw a bottle of liquor next to the girl and tried to take it to prevent the girl from hitting him with it. In response the girl attacked the deputy, hitting him in the neck and head with closed fists.
The deputy wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from hitting him. He wrestled her to the floor and placed her in handcuffs. The girl began hurling expletives at the deputy as other officers arrived to help. The girl accused them all of being pedophiles.
She was transported to the hospital for treatment but continued to be belligerent and hostile. Ultimately, the girl had to be heavily sedated to prevent her from injuring herself, or hospital staff until she could be transported to a mental health facility.
