Authorities arrested a man they said fired a high-powered rifle into the air, the ground and surrounding areas Sunday in east Mesa.
Abraham Duarte, 20, was arrested in connection with discharging a weapon after authorities tracked him down to an apartment complex south of 95th Street and Apache Trail, said deputy Doug Matteson of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
Multiple 911 calls were placed around 11:30 a.m. and police responded to the area near the corner of Apache Trail and Ellsworth Road.
The sheriff's office joined Mesa police in tracking down the suspect, Matteson said.
No victims or injuries were reported as of late Sunday.
Duarte led authorities to another apartment near Ellsworth and Guadlupe roads where he had ditched a "cut-down AK-47" on the roof, Matteson said.
Ali Majed, an employee of a Chevron gas station near the incident, said he heard a loud noise while he was inside the store's cooler.
At Thunder Pass Food and Spirits, a nearby restaurant, manager Melissa Thiede didn't hear anything but she said a helicopter and police cars were in the area.
Thiede said the helicopter flying overhead had been circling for almost two hours.
Approximately 40 police units were on the scene Sunday afternoon. Authorities created a containment area between 95th and 96th streets, Matteson said.
Duarte is expected to face multiple felony charges, Matteson said. He added that Duarte was in the country illegallylink
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/113170