Casino Heists and Metal Mayhem: Police Connect Suspects in Major Crime Investigation

Recent police reports have unveiled a complex web of connections among multiple arrests in Maricopa, revealing a troubling story of drug activity, theft, and deceit involving Vernon Trejo, 32, Lindsay Pye, 42, and Eric Lay.

The investigation began on December 19 when Maricopa police received a notification from a Flock license plate reading camera about a black Chevrolet Silverado with Colorado plates heading towards the Ak-Chin reservation. Despite a brief search, officers were unable to locate the vehicle until it reappeared in town two hours later.

Officer Rene Ordonez spotted the Silverado at a Circle K gas station, but as he approached, the vehicle drove off. Following the truck into the Desert Cedars area, Ordonez eventually found it abandoned on Larkspur Drive. A canvass of the area yielded only a low-quality surveillance video of a man and a woman believed to have fled from the abandoned vehicle.

Inside the truck, police uncovered troubling evidence: a stolen credit card, tools, drug paraphernalia, and 28 grams of methamphetamine. The stolen items had connections to BD Industries in Phoenix, and a Chevrolet Traverse linked to the case remains under investigation.

Using facial recognition technology, investigators identified the female passenger as Lindsey Pye. When contacted by police, Pye acknowledged her connection to the vehicle and identified the driver as Vernon Trejo, humorously noting that he went by “Stu” due to his notable head shape. Pye denied knowledge of the vehicle’s stolen contents but admitted ownership of some drug paraphernalia found within.

According to Pye, she and Trejo had visited the nearby Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino before hiding out at a friend’s house close to where the truck was found. Pye provided Trejo’s phone number, leading police to confirm his identity through surveillance footage.

On January 28, officials secured a search warrant for Trejo’s phone data and tracked his location to Vee Quiva Casino on February 4. There, officers not only detained Trejo but also arrested Eric Lay, a man wanted for unrelated thefts in Maricopa. Both suspects were taken into custody and later transported to the Pinal County jail.

Trejo faces serious charges, including auto theft and possession of dangerous drugs, with a hearing scheduled for May 5 in Pinal County Superior Court. Pye has also been charged with drug-related offenses, with her initial court date set for June 17. Meanwhile, Lay’s case remains pending in Western Pinal Justice Court following his guilty plea on dangerous drug charges in January.