Name: Casa Grande man who helped find escaped Florence inmates questions reward money
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Casa Grande man who helped find escaped Florence inmates questions reward money

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You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.Welcome,Joe Marquez works for a water district near Coolidge. Joe says he was inspecting equipment back on January 28th when he unexpectedly came across two Arizona prison escapees, one a convicted sex offender, the other a convicted kidnapper.CASA GRANDE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Joe Marquez works for a water district near Coolidge. Joe says he was inspecting equipment back on January 28th when he unexpectedly came across two Arizona prison escapees, one a convicted sex offender, the other a convicted kidnapper. They were hiding and still wearing their prison outfits.&nbsp;&nbsp;"I happened to look again, and you could tell their pants were orange, and I said, 'Oh my God, those are the convicts,'" Joe remembers saying to himself when he saw them. "I got on my phone and called 9-1-1, and she (dispatcher) said, 'what are your cross streets?" Joe told 3 On Your Side.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to phone records, Joe called 9-1-1 at exactly 9:02 a.m., and within minutes, the U.S Marshall's Service and other law enforcement agencies captured the two escapees."What was that like? I mean, I bet your adrenaline was pumping," 3 On Your Side's Gary Harper asked. "My adrenaline was flying so fast," Joe replied. "My heart was pumping. I didn't expect this."Joe says he was thrilled to help law enforcement and knew there was a big reward. In fact, Governor Ducey had tweeted earlier that there was a $70,000 reward leading to the escapees' capture."I was thinking jackpot. Bingo! I was the first person who yelled it out. I thought I had some reward money coming," he said.&nbsp;He did. In fact, the U.S. Marshals Office paid Joe their share of the reward, which was $20,000. But Joe wants to know what happened to the rest of the $50,000?&nbsp;Joe says he contacted The Arizona Department of Public Safety several times but claims he could never get an answer and was never forwarded to anyone.So, he contacted 3 On Your Side. "I'm glad someone is on my side to try and help me out. I just don't know where else to go," he said.3 On Your Side asked the Arizona Department of Public Safety about the remaining reward money. The agency says there was never a formal announcement about the money. However, they claim the remaining $50,000 was distributed to two other witnesses. They went on to say that Joe received the U.S Marshal's portion of the reward, but he won't be sharing their portion.Joe tells 3 On Your Side that he feels like DPS has left many unanswered questions. And although he appreciates 3 On Your Side's involvement, he remains somewhat surprised and wonders how it will affect other future rewards."I think it changes my whole perspective on things. I think it sends out the wrong message to the community. Nobody will want to get involved for this reason right here. I am very disappointed," he said.Joe says he feels as though DPS mishandled the entire reward situation. If you want to see what DPS has to say, they provided 3 On Your Side, a very brief statement below.Law enforcement officials captured Arizona prison escapees John Charpiot, a convicted sex offender, and David Harmon, who is serving a 100-year sentence for kidnapping, in Coolidge, Arizona, on January 28, 2021. In total, $70,000 was paid out in reward money, including a $50,000 reward to the primary witness whose information led to the arrest of the escapees.Gary Harper's 3 On Your Side reports air weeknights on 3TV News at 9.&nbsp;Copyright 2021 KPHO/KTVK (KPHO Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.© Copyright 2021 (A Meredith Corporation Station), 5555 N. Seventh Avenue Phoenix, AZ&nbsp;| &nbsp;| &nbsp;|Powered by from .

You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.Welcome,Joe Marquez works for a water district near Coolidge. Joe says he was inspecting equipment back on January 28th when he unexpectedly came across two Arizona prison escapees, one a convicted sex offender, the other a convicted kidnapper.CASA GRANDE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Joe Marquez works for a water district near Coolidge. Joe says he was inspecting equipment back on January 28th when he unexpectedly came across two Arizona prison escapees, one a convicted sex offender, the other a convicted kidnapper. They were...

Casa Grande man who helped find escaped Florence inmates questions reward money

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