A man who allegedly shot at power plant workers as they drove to work in the far West Valley is in custody after detectives tracked him to a residence using sandal prints marked in the sand.

The incident occurred Sunday, Dec. 17 in the early morning hours near the SRP Mesquite Generating Station and APS Redhawk Power Plant, both located in Arlington, about a 45-mile drive southwest from Sun City.

According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, someone dressed entirely in black and wearing a bandana around his mouth and chin shot at two vehicles. The bullets hit the vehicles but did not injure anyone. The drivers reported the incidents to their internal security and MCSO.

Hipolito Rodriguez (MCSO)

Detectives from the District II Station, which serves the southwest Valley, investigated the area, finding pieces of the damaged cars and a set of shoe prints. The prints led them to a nearby residence where they located the suspect, 18-year-old Hipolito Rodriguez.

Detectives said Mr. Rodriguez had sandals with soles matching the prints found at the shooting location. The sandals are made from recycled tires and numbers from those tires protrude from the soles of the footwear, making a distinctive print.

Detectives executed a search warrant, locating a shotgun.

During questioning, detectives found Mr. Rodriguez to possess methamphetamine.

“It took a committed and expert team of Detectives and MCSO Evidence Technicians to link the print to the suspect,” Sheriff Paul Penzone said in a release. “I’m extremely proud of their work on behalf of the people we serve and grateful that the suspect was caught before anyone was injured.”

Mr. Rodriguez was booked on two counts of aggravated assault and one count of promoting prison contraband.

MCSO does not believe the power plant staff was specifically targeted by the shooter.