Man hurled eggs, meth in roadside assault

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Joseph Ricketts [PCSO]
Joseph Ricketts [PCSO]

A man assaulted his girlfriend with a carton of eggs and threw drugs out of his getaway car near a school, according to Maricopa police. 

Maricopa Police Department arrested 39-year-old Joseph L. Ricketts Tuesday after he allegedly threw a carton of eggs at his girlfriend, threw her against a truck and punched her, according to a probable cause statement obtained by InMaricopa detailing the incident.  

At 5:45 p.m., Maricopa Police Department responded to the area of Anderson and Steen Roads after a woman reported her boyfriend attacked her. 

She told officers she was on her way to pick Ricketts up from work when she spotted him walking along the roadside. She said he was visibly upset and began calling her profane names. 

According to police documents, Ricketts got into the bed of the truck his girlfriend was driving and continued yelling at her. The woman got out of the truck and told Ricketts to get out of her truck — and her life.   

The woman told officers that Ricketts then threw a carton of eggs at her and pinned her against the truck. She allegedly collapsed as Ricketts punched her in the back of the head. 

As she drove away from him, he allegedly threw a brick at her and caused about $500 worth of damage to her truck, cops said. 

A witness testified that Ricketts punched his girlfriend. 

Two hours later, police found Ricketts driving near Honeycutt Road and Terragona Boulevard and tried to stop him. He allegedly threw more than 2 grams of methamphetamine out of his window near Desert Wind Middle School. 

After detaining Ricketts, he admitted to punching his girlfriend and hurling a brick at her car because he was angry, cops said. He also admitted to throwing the meth out of his car when officers initiated the traffic stop. He said he knew he would get in trouble. 

Police arrested Ricketts booked him into Pinal County jail on charges of domestic assault and criminal damage related to the attack on his girlfriend. 

The less-than-graceful attempt to dispose of his dope resulted in another pair of charges for possession of dangerous drugs and possession of dangerous drugs in a school zone. 

Read more public safety stories here.   

Brian Petersheim Jr., Reporter
Brian became part of the InMaricopa team in October 2020, starting as a multimedia intern with a focus on various multimedia tasks. His responsibilities included file organization and capturing photos of events and incidents. After graduating from Maricopa High School in the class of 2021, his internship seamlessly transitioned into a full-fledged job. Initially serving as a dedicated photographer, Brian's role evolved in October 2021 when he took on a new beat as a writer. He is currently pursuing his studies at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Brian's primary focus lies in covering public safety-related stories. In his free time, Brian finds joy in spending quality time with his family and embarking on adventures to explore the landscapes around him.