On February 12, 2025, at approximately 4:17 P.M. Prescott Police received information from the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office requesting assistance in locating and apprehending a suspect wanted on several felony charges. Further information revealed that the suspect, 70-year-old James Crespo, had a felony warrant out of Maricopa County for Weapons Misconduct and had fled from law enforcement previously. Additionally, officers received information that Crespo was possibly armed and was threatening to blow people up, including law enforcement.
Prescott Police Officers responded to the area of Dearing Park out Thumb Butte Road in search of the suspect. Officers were able to locate the suspect in his vehicle driving east towards Prescott on Thumb Butte Rd. Officers attempted a traffic stop on Crespo who refused to pull over. The on-scene supervisor had arranged for spike strips to be set up across Thumb Butte Rd in the area of Idlewild Drive to prevent Crespo from getting into more populated areas.
As the suspect approached the spike strips, he stopped his vehicle and held what was described as a blow torch out of his window and proceeded to light the torch. Officers attempted to deescalate Crespo with verbal commands to which he ignored. Crespo then proceeded in his vehicle towards town driving his vehicle over the deployed spike strips.
Crespo turned into the residential area off Thumb Butte Rd onto Country Club Circle. Prescott Police Officers and Yavapai County Sheriff’s Deputies located Crespo in his vehicle in the area of Country Club Circle and Canada Cresent Drive. Cresco proceeded to ram a Prescott Police vehicle prior to being blocked by Yavapai County Sheriff Deputies vehicles.
At this time, an explosion occurred inside Crespo’s vehicle which was engulfed in flames. Crespo exited his vehicle with a propane tank and a blow torch. Less than lethal force options were utilized to take Crespo into custody. The explosion also ignited a Yavapai County Sheriff Deputy’s vehicle as well as the surrounding area on fire.
Crespo was taken into custody and initially treated on scene prior to being transported to Yavapai Regional Medical Center. Crespo was air evacuated to a Phoenix area hospital for further treatment of his injuries. No officers, deputies or bystanders were injured as a result of this incident.
Currently this incident is still being actively investigated. Further details will be released as they become available.
