Barricaded subject surrenders

Monday, September 20, 2010

A 31-year-old Mesquite man, Anthony Richard Zappa, surrendered Saturday evening (Sept. 18), after a 90 minute standoff with Mesquite Police patrol and SWAT officers at his residence in the 400 block of Bannock Street.

According to MPD Public Information Officer Robert W. Everett, the incident began at 8:30 p.m., after police were requested to do a welfare check on Zappa. When patrol officers arrived at the residence, the suspect threatened to harm himself if anyone entered the residence. Zappa claimed to be armed with a gun and was refusing to come out.

Officer Everett said that due to the volatile nature of the incident, S.W.A.T. team members and a negotiator were called to the scene and nearby residents were evacuated.

After speaking with Zappa for about an hour, the negotiator successfully persuaded him to come out the front door, where he was taken into custody. No shots were fired. Several firearms were removed from the residence after Zappa was in custody.

Chief Douglas Law said, “I am very pleased that dispatch, patrol officers, SWAT and the negotiator worked together successfully to bring this situation to a peaceful resolve."

The Desert Tortoise

Like many desert creatures, desert tortoises spend most of their lives "holed up." In spring and summer, they roam grazing on grasses and wildflowers, then head for their burrows when it gets too hot. In fall and winter, when it is cold and there is not much to eat, they stay burrowed in for six months or more at a time.

If you see a desert tortoise, you are seeing an endangered species. Please watch out for them on the roads. Tortoises live in washes and valleys where the soil is soft enough for them to burrow into, yet stable enough so they do not collapse. Remember, desert tortoises are protected under the Endangered Species Act and may not be handled or removed.

Golf in the Desert

The city of Mesquite combines calm, small-town flavour with big-city attractions and championship golf. The Palms and the Oasis Golf Clubs are only two of the half-dozen challenging courses in the area.

Golf Highlights in Mesquite

Golf built on the dramatic Virgin Foothills of Nevada makes for a unique landscape and golf setting.
Enjoy a spa treatment at the Spa at Casablanca or the Spa at the Oasis.
Mesquite serves as a gateway to the national parks of Southern Utah and Zion National Park, which is less than two hours away.

View more information about golf courses in Mesquite

The Speedy RoadRunner

Called paisano in Mexico, the roadrunner is a well-known desert resident that only superficially resembles its popular cartoon portrayal. The greater roadrunner has adapted to life on the run. Though it can fly well, it prefers to use its strong legs and X- shaped toes to run rapidly over the desert landscape. Active predators, roadrunners aggressively chase insects, lizards, snakes, small birds and mammals.

Tolerant of humans, they sometimes nest in protected eaves and garages when they are not building large stick nests in desert trees. Their vocalizations include bill clicking noises and a mournful cooing made during breeding seasons. They do not meep-meep.