A Scottsdale Police Department officer’s probable cause statement reveals chilling details of a home invasion – during which two California teenagers schemed to rob a resident of millions in cryptocurrency.
The bungling boy bitcoin bandits apparently missed their target, going to the wrong address.
The morning of Jan. 31, officers responded to a distress call from a residence near 96th Street and Cactus Road. Responding officers heard “a female victim inside the residence screaming and a juvenile suspect struggling with an adult male.”
When the officers entered the home, the two young suspects ran out the back, jumped in a car and raced away, driving erratically. Police chased the two, who drove into a nearby strip mall and hit a dead-end.
“Both suspects, identified as juveniles, were taken into custody without incident or injury,” according to the report.
Police later identified the suspects as 17-year-old Jackson Sullivan and 16-year-old Skylar LaPaille.
Sullivan initially refused to talk, demanding a lawyer.
LaPaille told officers he recently met Sullivan “and they had been extorted by someone named ‘Red’ to complete the home invasion,” according to the police report.
The two posed as delivery drivers to break into the home.
Officers rescued two adults restrained with black duct tape. Near the victims, officers found zip ties, a roll of black duct tape, a moving dolly, a Home Depot brand box “and various UPS type pieces of clothing.”
Also near the victims was a black gun “later determined to be a 3D printed gun … There was no ammunition in the gun.”
Police learned the 911 caller was the victims’ adult son who had been hiding in the back of the house.
The male victim, who suffered minor injuries but did not ask for medical attention, said he answered the front door “to two people posing as package delivery people with the box and dolly.”
When he opened the door, the fake delivery men pushed their way in, threw the home owner to the ground and tied him up. The second victim was also grabbed and restrained with duct tape.
“The subjects demanded that (the male victim) provide them access to his bitcoin of which he denied having.”
The teenagers slammed the man’s head against the ground to try to get him to cooperate.
The arrival of the police “ended the assault and home invasion with the subjects fleeing out the back of the residence.”
Hours later, LaPaille was interviewed by police.
He said he knew Sullivan “only by his first name and met through a mutual friend approximately one month prior.”
LaPaille said Sulivan asked “if he wanted to make $66 million in cryptocurrency by going to Scottsdale, tie people up, and get them to give their cryptocurrency.”
The teenagers received instructions on the Signal app from someone called “Red” and another known as “8.”
They gave Sullivan $1,000 to buy supplies, according to LaPaille. The two left the San Luis Obispo area early Jan. 31 and arrived in Scottsdale around 5 a.m. “They stole a license plate off of a similar vehicle in Scottsdale, bought zip ties and black duct tape at Target, and a box, screwdriver, and dolly at Home Depot, both in Scottsdale.”
Sullivan “previously bought a FedEx uniform on Amazon.”
LaPaille said when they first arrived at the victims’ home, yard workers were there, so they parked down the street and waited.
When they returned, “They used the dolly and the cardboard box with their uniforms to make contact at the front door.”
LaPaille confirmed the story of forcing their way in and taping up the victims but “claimed they never assaulted them.”
According to the report, Sullivan’s mother called police in California “because she had found text messages on his phone in regard to dressing up like UPS, committing a burglary, and splitting the proceeds of the crime. An address in Scottsdale, AZ, down the street from the actual incident location was provided in the text messages.”
That California police department “then called Scottsdale PD to notify them of the possible burglary,” according to the report.
But the call came in too late:
“SPD received that information after the incident had occurred.”
The juveniles face felony charges.
The two were released after their families’ posted $50,000 bonds.
Both were fitted with electronic monitoring devices.
“The Scottsdale PD is handling the investigation, which is still active,” said Officer Aaron Bolin.
“No other suspects have been identified yet.”
Scottsdale Police Chief Joe LeDuc congratulated his officers.
“This case reflects the outstanding teamwork, training, and decisive action of our officers. They moved quickly, coordinated effectively, and brought a dangerous situation to a safe conclusion,” LeDuc said.
And, he warned, “If you come to Scottsdale to commit violent crimes, our officers will find you and hold you accountable.”
Guthrie tie rejected
Some speculated that the Scottsdale case could be related to the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping.
Both crimes likely took place Jan. 31. Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her Tucson home Feb. 1.
And some saw a link in that the California teenagers demanded bitcoin from a Scottsdale resident.
The alleged ransom note for the 84-year-old Guthrie demanded $6 million ransom in cryptocurrency.
But, according to Scottsdale Police Officer Aaron Bolin, the Scottsdale case “has no known ties” to the Guthrie case.
“Pima County (law enforcement) didn’t reach out to us,” Bolin added.