PHOENIX — A landscaper arrested in a series of Phoenix freeway shootings told a judge Saturday that authorities have “the wrong guy” as investigators stood by their detective work that traced the gun to the suspect after he took it to a pawn shop.
Leslie Allen Merritt Jr. was charged with counts including aggravated assault, criminal damage, disorderly conduct, carrying out a drive-by shooting and intentional acts of terrorism.
In a brief court appearance, a prosecutor said the 21-year-old should get a high bail since drivers spent three weeks on edge.
Superior Court Commissioner Lisa Roberts set bail at $1 million, and Merritt, who had remained quiet during the proceedings, asked in a soft voice to address the court.
“All I have to say is I'm the wrong guy. I tried telling the detectives that. My gun's been in the pawn shop the last two months. I haven't even had access to a weapon,” he said.
Merritt was arrested Friday evening when a SWAT team swarmed him at a Wal-Mart in the suburb of Glendale.
Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves said the break in the case was the result of exhaustive investigation in which weapons from pawn shops were test-fired at the state crime lab.
Graves said evidence from shell casings and bullet fragments determined that a gun Merritt pawned was used in four of the shootings on Aug. 29 and 30.
