Burglary Leads to Homicide
January 4, 2012
On January 3 at 9:55pm, the Mesa Police Department received an
emergency call from a resident in the 2700 block of S. Date
reporting a shooting at the address. Upon arrival, officers
located two gunshot victims inside the home. The reporting
party, sixty-nine-year-old Jerry Patty, sustained a gunshot
wound to the right elbow. The second victim,
twenty-four-year-old Marialuisa Alvarez, sustained a gunshot
wound to the upper torso. Alvarez was pronounced deceased at the
scene. It was determined the two shooting victims, along with
two others present, reside at the home. Also present when the
incident occurred were Jerry Patty's wife and a 3-year-old child
belonging to Alvarez.
Jerry Patty told officers he was inside the residence when he
heard Alvarez yelling at someone. He went to investigate and
observed a male subject in Alvarez's bedroom. The male,
described as white or light-colored Hispanic, was wearing a
black ski mask. The male approached Patty and Patty put his hand
up to stop him. The male suspect then fired one gunshot that
struck Patty. The gunshot grazed Patty's abdomen, struck his
elbow, then struck Alvarez. Investigators believe Alvarez was
standing somewhere behind Patty when this occurred. Patty's wife
reported seeing two masked men inside the residence.
Responding officers set up a permieter in the area and tracked
the suspect by use of police K-9s. As officers searched the
vicinity to the north, a trial of potential evidentiary items
were found outside of several homes. In the backyard of a
residented in the 400 block of West Mendoza, a police K-9
alerted on a large rubber container. The police K-9 apprehended
a white male, wearing sho shoes, inside the container. Witin the
same container, officers located a semi-automatic pistol. The
male subect was identified as Wesley Wailes. Wailes was
transported to an area hospital for treatment.
During an interview, Wailes told detectives that he and an
unidentified accomplice entered the home on S. Date through an
unsecured door, to commit a burglary. He said he and the
accomplice wore a ski mask and gloves. Inside, he proceeded to
take items of value from the residence. Wailes said Alvarez
began yelling at his accomplice because she found him taking her
purse. This alerted an older male (Jerry Patty) to investigate
and confront Wailes. Wailes said his accomplice fled, but his
path was blocked by Patty. Wailes said he had a gun in his hand
and proceeded to fire one shot at Jerry Patty. He said his
intent was to scare Patty. Wailes said he then fled from the
residence through the front door. Wailes is acquainted with
Alvarez's boyfriend, who lives at the reisdence. Walies admitted
he planned the burglary, because he knew Alvarez's boyfriend
would not be home. He was also aware of items, he considered
valuable, present inside the home. Wailes said he did not intent
to kill anyone.
Wailes was booked on one court of each: 1st degree murder; 1st
degree burglary; aggravated assault; misconduct involving
weapons, and endangerment.