PINAL COUNTY, Ariz. — A suspect has been detained on suspicion of fatally running over an elderly man in Pinal County.
Ricky Gibson, 20, is suspected of killing former retired police sergeant Melvin Moore during a dispute over stolen property, according to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.
Moore, 85, had hired Gibson to do some odd jobs around his property. After his motorized bike disappeared, Moore confronted Gibson about allegedly taking the property.
PCSO said Gibson allegedly told an associate that, during the confrontation, Gibson got into Moore's truck and ran him over.
A passerby later found Moore lying on the side of the road Wednesday afternoon near Bateman Street and Hudson Road in Randolph. He later died at the hospital.
Moore's truck was found abandoned near Turquoise Trail and La Palma Road.
Gibson was later found at a nearby residence and taken into custody. He's been booked into jail and faces a charge of first-degree murder.
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What is the Valley?
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
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The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
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Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.