by 
Joe M. Bribiescas
On the morning of March 4, 2016, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office detectives and regional SWAT task force operators served a search warrant on a residential compound near Superior to search for a shooting suspect and the weapon used in a February 28 shooting of a 35-year-old male. Five adults were arrested, including the alleged shooter, 49-year-old, Joe Bribiescas. The weapon used in the assault was recovered on the property.
Just after 4 a.m., on Feb. 28, PCSO received a call from the staff at Banner Gateway Hospital in Gilbert about a shooting victim at their emergency room. The victim was shot once in the abdomen and survived the wound. He reported the shooting happened at a residential property on Hewitt Station Road where he had been visiting a friend at a property on Hewitt Station Road near Superior and had been shot by a man he knew as Joe Bribiescas.
Pinal County Sheriff’s Detectives and SWAT team serve a search warrant at a compound near Superior.
Investigators determined the property where the shooting took place was located at 33235 E. Hewitt Station Rd., Superior. Once it was determined that the suspect was on the property, investigators obtained a search warrant to search for the gun and the suspect.
“This property is best described as a compound with many different structures and potential hazards for deputies serving the warrant,” said Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu. “The detectives and SWAT operators on the regional task force are well trained for these dangerous searches, and our planning and training served us well to keep everyone safe during this operation.”
On the afternoon of March 4, a multi-agency search warrant operation was conducted at the Hewitt Station Road property. The regional SWAT team served a search warrant on the property at about 9:00 a.m., assisted by PCSO Detectives, members of the PCSO Narcotics Task Force, and U.S. Marshal’s Violent Offender Task Force.
The suspect, Joe Bribiescas, was located and arrested on the property. His brother, Raymond Bribiescas, was arrested on outstanding felony warrants as well. A female on the property during the warrant service, Christine Gomez, was arrested for two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, after two pipes commonly used for meth were found in her pocket when she was detained. An unrelated subject, Scott Gwin, was found on the property and arrested on a Maricopa County felony warrant for possession of dangerous drugs for sale and possession of narcotic drugs for sale. Another person on the property during the warrant service, Robert Howell, was arrested for misdemeanor warrants but was later released due to a medical issue.
Pinal County Sheriff’s Detectives and SWAT team serve a search warrant at a compound near Superior.
“During a search of the property,” Babeu said, “the weapon used to shoot the victim, a Ruger .22 cal. pistol, was recovered, along with numerous items of drug paraphernalia. A large bag of methamphetamine was also seized. Joe Bribiescas was booked for one count of aggravated assault-deadly weapon, one count of misconduct involving weapons-prohibited possessor, and a Maricopa County felony warrant.”
Pinal County Sheriff’s Detectives and SWAT team serve a search warrant at a compound near Superior.
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