This morning Pima County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call in the 5400 block of South Bryant Avenue. They were told that a man had entered the residence and held a knife to the throat of one of the occupants, demanding a vehicle. The victim did not have a vehicle, and the suspect subsequently left on foot.
The suspect was then seen running through yards in the neighborhood, still armed with a knife. Deputies searched for the suspect and saturated the area. K-9 units were called to support the operation as well.
Due to the close proximity of Los Ninos Elementary school to the incident location and as a precaution, the school was notified and put on lockdown.
Deputies located a white Honda sedan near the residence where the suspect original struck and it appeared to be associated with the suspect. Deputies later determined the vehicle had been stolen from a residence in the 5800 block of South Garrett Avenue last night.
A Sheriff’s Motor Unit deputy, along with a Sahuarita Police Department motor officer, took the suspect, Benjamin Michael Vanolphen, into custody in a commercial yard in the vicinity of East Drexel Road and South Arcadia Avenue.
Deputies later learned that while on the run, Vanolphen allegedly entered yet another residence in the 5700 block of South Belvedere and stole a purse from there.