Maricopan accused of threatening ex with gun, faces multiple charges

By Ethan McSweeney

Maricopa police arrested a man early Sunday for allegedly threatening his ex-girlfriend with an unloaded gun and trying to force her into his car before she stabbed him with her car key and fled.

Daniel Moore, 21, confronted his ex-girlfriend in the Fry’s parking lot off State Route 347 around 11 p.m. Saturday, according to a Maricopa Police Department report. Moore attempted to talk to the woman, but she refused to talk, the report read.

At that point, Moore pulled out an unloaded .45 caliber pistol from his right cargo pocket, which he said was meant “to scare her,” according to the report. The gun belonged to Moore’s father, MPD spokesman Ricardo Alvarado said.

The woman attempted to get away, but Moore grabbed her in chokehold fashion, the report read. The woman told police she wasn’t able to breathe and was left with a red mark around the front of her neck.

When Moore tried to pull the woman into the car to take her with him, the woman stabbed him with her car key and fled inside the Fry’s store, according to the report.

Five MPD officers responded to Moore’s residence on West Julie Lane south of Maricopa shortly after midnight, police said.

After being interviewed by police, Moore allegedly admitted to the incident taking place. He also admitted to hiding the gun inside his residence “because he knew he would be in trouble,” the report read.

Moore was charged with one count of kidnapping, one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, another count of aggravated assault for strangulation, one count of threatening and intimidating, one count of misconduct involving weapons, one count of disorderly conduct for recklessly displaying a weapon and one count of tampering with evidence, according to the report.

All the charges fall under domestic violence, which adds an aggravating factor to the alleged crimes, Alvarado said.

Moore was booked into Pinal County Jail and is being held on a $20,000 bond. He is due in court for a preliminary hearing Friday.