A Tucson man, Jonathan Ray Irby, is in custody in connection with what appears to be a retail theft spree. Sahuarita Police officers arrested Irby for felony Organized Retail Theft, Possession of Drugs, Burglary Tools, and Outstanding Warrants, one of which was for burglary.
Irby, age 40, was booked into the Pima County Jail.
According to the Sahuarita Police Department (SPD), on September 4, 2021, at approximately 9:05 p.m., officers received a report of a theft from TJ Maxx on S. Nogales Hwy. A witness described the suspect vehicle as “an older white truck” and provided some license plate letters. A few minutes later, a Sahuarita police officer spotted a similar vehicle traveling north on I-19 with the same letters on the license plates as provided by the witness.
The vehicle exited I-19 and turned west on Pima Mine Rd. An SPD officer and PCSD deputy attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle failed to yield and continued west on Pima Mine Rd. at speeds ranging from 10 to 70 miles per hour, for a total distance of approximately 2 miles. As the vehicle fled, occupants threw items out of the windows. Some of those items were later identified as suspected stolen property and drug paraphernalia.
As the suspect vehicle neared the entrance to a mine in the area, it slowed and attempted a U-turn in an area with a large amount of dirt on the roadway. The pursuing Sahuarita vehicle attempted to stop but slid on the dirt and collided with the back of the suspect vehicle, causing minor damage to the patrol vehicle. One of the vehicle occupants, identified as Irby, exited the suspect vehicle as it slowed and was moving. Irby ran into the desert area and was pursued on foot by one of the Sahuarita officers while the suspect vehicle continued east on Pima Mine Rd. The pursuing officer caught Irby.
Other responding officers and a PCSD helicopter responded to the area to assist with the incident. The suspect vehicle was later found abandoned about one mile east of the mine gate. An area search assisted by PCSD K-9 units and the helicopter was conducted; however, the other vehicle occupants were not located.
A search of the suspect vehicle revealed approximately $1,500 in suspected stolen property from different businesses, a small amount of fentanyl, and methamphetamine.
Police say the case is still under investigation. They are asking anyone who may have information about the crimes to contact the SPD by calling 911 or 344-7000 during business hours Monday through Friday or by contacting the TIP Line at 520-445-7847.