PUBLIC SAFETY
7-ELEVEN NOVEMBER
ACTION BEHAVIOR CENTERS DECEMBER Action Behavior Centers ABA Therapy for Autism is approved for 41800 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway. Permits for the signage were issued in October and were installed in mid-December. It will replace what once was Big 5 Sporting Goods, the city’s only sporting goods store, which closed in November after eight years in business. The center will provide therapy to children from 1½ to 13 years old who are on the autism spectrum. LA MICHOACANA DECEMBER La Michoacana The Ice Cream Spot AZ is remodeling the former K’Bella Salon and Day Spa at 20800 N. John Wayne Parkway, Suite 116, at the Maricopa Fiesta. Andre Gutierrez, who owns the Mexican sweets shop, predicted an early 2025 opening. An immigrant from the coastal Mexican state of Michoacán, he opened his first location in 2021 in Casa Grande. Maricopa will be the family busi- ness’s fourth venture. CHILAQUILES MODERN KITCHEN DECEMBER The metro brunch spot confirmed it would open its second location in Maricopa in the first quarter of 2025. The popular Mesa-based Mexican a.m. restaurant is taking over the former sports bar The Roost, which closed last month. The space at 20800 N. John Wayne Parkway, Suite 101, in The Shops at Maricopa Fiesta, is expected to be remodeled.
DUI CASE TOOK A WILD TURN JANUARY
Scottsdale’s De Rito Partners proposed Maricopa’s first 7-Eleven on the southwest corner of Honeycutt and White and Parker Roads, with a 4,600-square-foot convenience store and gas pumps. The site would include parking and six fueling islands, catering to local workers and traffic along Honeycutt Road. A second 7-Eleven was proposed earlier near John Wayne Parkway. For now, Maricopa’s nearest 7-Eleven is a 20-mile drive north in Tempe.
Homestead resident Dena Paige Devine, 53, drank several beers, ate a marijuana edible and drove into motorcyclist Jordan Piergrossi in her SUV, killing the 47-year-old father. Public outrage erupted when a Pinal County grand jury dismissed her DUI case — a rare occurrence, according to prosecutors. However, Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer in October revealed plans to bring new charges, including DUI and manslaughter. Meanwhile, defense lawyers argue Piergrossi’s alleged speeding contributed to the crash. With Devine’s THC-positive test and an event data recorder as evidence, prosecutors remain determined to hold her accountable as the case remains ongoing on the anniversary of Piergrossi’s death.
PHX SURF NOVEMBER
PHX Surf is finally paddling toward progress after years of choppy waters. CEO Erin LaGrassa described the project’s transformation from a raucous waterpark to a serene “wellness oasis” featuring a sunglass- shaped surf lagoon, earthy 3D-printed villas and barefoot luxury. Despite delays, developers filed for a permit in September, hinting two months later at an early 2025 groundbreaking at the southwest corner of Loma Road and State Route 238.
Crews pull missing Sandra Karelsen’s blue Hyundai from a lake on the northeast corner of Rummy Road and Pinochle Lane in Province Feb. 21.
LOWE’S HOME IMPROVEMENT NOVEMBER
MISSING WOMAN WAS FOUND IN SUBMERGED CAR FEBRUARY What started as a missing person’s report ended with a chilling discovery. Sandra Karelsen, 67, was found in her blue Hyundai sedan, completely submerged in a lake in Province. Maricopa police located the car after a friend reported her disappearance earlier that day. The Pinal County Medical Examiner confirmed Karelsen’s cause of death as drowning, with no signs of trauma. What led her car to plunge into the lake near Rummy Road and Pinochle Lane remains unknown. The quiet waters now hold more questions than answers.
Lowe’s Home Improvement began work on its 139,000-square- foot store and garden center at the Southbridge Marketplace. Positioned to compete with The Home Depot, which opened nearby in September, Lowe’s entree signals Maricopa’s continued retail boom.
InMaricopa.com | January 2025
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