On the evening of Sept. 20, fugitive Robert Collins, 23, was located and arrested in Glendale after an eight-hour standoff with deputy U.S. Marshals and the Glendale Police Department. Robert Collins had been on the run for 10 days.
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On Sept. 11, Collins was being extradited back to North Carolina from Tolleson, by a private bail bonds company stationed in North Carolina. Collins asked to stop and use the restroom while travelling through Heber along State Route 260 while being extradited to North Carolina. According to the bail bondsman, Collins was handcuffed at the time of his escape. Collins fled from four bail bondsmen and hadn’t been located. The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office received the report of the escapee loose in the community and assumed the case to locate the fugitive. Collins had active warrants for burglary, vehicle theft and drug charges out of North Carolina.
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Navajo County deputies searched the entire night and were unable to locate Collins. The following morning deputies received a report of a residential burglary and stolen vehicle in the Heber area. The deputies were able to track a stolen iPad from the burglary back to the Tolleson area where it was later turned off.
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With this information from the iPad, deputies believed Collins had stolen a vehicle and returned to the Phoenix area. A description of the vehicle and Collins was shared with the Phoenix area U.S. Marshals Service task force to locate and arrest him.
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Collins was tracked down to a residence in Glendale. After the standoff Collins was found to be hiding in the attic and was arrested. Collins was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Maricopa County Jail in Phoenix.
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The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office is continuing their investigation into Collins in the Heber incident for vehicle theft, burglary, theft, escape and trespassing.
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Sheriff David Clouse stated, “I am extremely pleased with our deputy’s response to this escaped fugitive and bringing him to justice. I would also like to thank Marshal David Gonzales with the U.S. Marshals Service for the outstanding support from his Phoenix task force in locating and apprehending Robert Collins along with the Glendale Police Department for their assistance. When this case moved from Heber to the Phoenix area, Marshal Gonzales and his team worked continuously until Robert Collins was taken into custody.”
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