Mesa Police detectives have made an arrest in connection with recent home invasions. Darrus Love Bracewell was taken into custody on January 24, at approximately 1:30 p.m.
According to to the Mesa Police Department, the series of Home Invasions began on December 10, when the 18-year-old Bracewell followed a female victim and her juvenile daughter to her apartment door and placed a screwdriver against her side. He pushed the victim inside and immediately demanded cash from the victim. When the victim stated she did not have any cash, he told her he was going to injure her daughter.
punched the victim several times in her face during this incident. The screwdriver was found in the apartment and collected. At that time, all evidence was collected and analyzed however nothing returned as a match to known files. A crime bulletin was sent out with a composite sketch and no leads or witnesses were located.
Then on January 20, and January 22, police received three more reports from victims stating they were approached at their doors and forced into their apartments by a male suspect matching the description of the man described in the December case.
During these investigations, a video from a Ring security camera recorded Bracewell outside of one of the victim’s doors. That video was used to create a bulletin which was shared with media and on Mesa Police Department’s social media pages. Leads were followed up by several units and investigators were able to identify the suspect as Bracewell by showing the video to family and close contacts of his.
As detectives searched for Bracewell they identified him as a suspect related to two previously unsolved shoplifting cases at the Circle K at Power and McKellips earlier this month.
Bracewell was charged with one count of Armed Robbery, one count of Burglary in the 1st degree, two counts of 2nd degree burglary, one count of Attempted Burglary, one count of Robbery, and one count of Shoplifting.
Once he was booked, Bracewell attempt to hang himself with his shirt and Detention Officers intervened. During that incident two Officers were assaulted causing two additional counts of Aggravated Assault.