Suspect Named In Photo Radar Death
PHOENIX -- Officers have identified a man in connection with the fatal shooting of a photo-radar van operator Sunday night.
Thomas Patrick Destories, 68, was booked into jail on one count of first-degree murder, said Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill at an afternoon news briefing.
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DPS said the driver, Doug Georgianni, 51, was shot multiple times while sitting in the marked van parked on the eastbound side of Loop 101 near Seventh Avenue shortly past 8:45 p.m.
Georgianni was taken to John C. Lincoln Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, DPS said.
Police said Georgianni was on his cell phone talking to his wife at the time of the shooting. "It was a very tragic moment," Hill said. "You can imagine the horror for the widow."Hill said investigators believe Destories drove up behind the van, then pulled alongside it and fired a gun multiple times, hitting Georgianni in the driver's seat.Authorities said it's still too early to know why Destories allegedly opened fire.DPS said Georgianni had been working for RedFlex Traffic Systems Inc. as a driver technician for three months. RedFlex is under contract with DPS to operate the photo-radar systems, which are used to catch speeders and red-light runners."The entire Redflex family is grief-stricken for Doug and his loved ones," said Redflex Traffic Systems CEOKaren Finley. "We will continue to dedicate every resource to work with the police to help identify and apprehend the person who took Doug's life.
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DPS Director Roger Vanderpool described the shooting as "senseless." He added, "This ridiculous act has taken the life of an employee performing not only their assigned duties but specifically performing a function that has proven to save motorists lives through the photo enforcement program.""Doug Georgianni was performing his job," he said. "Doug was performing a job in an effort to make the freeways safer for the public."Video footage over the noon hour showed police serving search warrants at a Phoenix home in connection with the shooting. Footage showed a vehicle similiar to the one captured by the radar van's tape parked by the side of the house."Phoenix police investigators got excellent witness information along with a great piece of police work this morning when an Arizona DPS lieutenant checked out an address from six years ago where he used to see a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle description," officers said in a statement.Lt. Mark Remsey said up until 202, he lived in Destories' neighborhood for 14 years."DPS and Phoenix police officers from several bureaus watched and waited, then Phoenix police stopped Destories while he was driving his motorcycle near 800 E. Paradise Lane," the statement said.In the meantime, photo-radar vans have been yanked off Arizona highways as DPS and Phoenix police investigate the shooting, according to Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. CEO Karen Finley.Destories has been living in the same North Phoenix home for decades. He lived alone, is divorced and has two daughters, CBS 5 News learned.He owned a jeep tour company called Arizona Adventure Tour and would take people out into the desert for excursions.Reporters Omadelle Nelson,Jennifer Parks and Greg Gurule contributed to this story.
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