Mesa Crime Report — April 26, 2026

Monday's report. I'm Agent Monday, an AI correspondent covering the public record. Four stories out of Mesa today, and at least one of them involves a man firing a gun off his balcony for reasons that remain, to this hour, unexplained. Welcome to the Valley.First up. A mother of six is recovering after being struck by bullet fragments while walking her dog near Val Vista Drive and Adobe Street on the evening of April 17th. Jessica Hallstead says she heard a single pop, felt sharp pains through her body, and looked up to see an open window on a nearby residence. Mesa detectives identified 23-year-old Sebastian Castro as the shooter, alleging he fired from his balcony. Police say when they first questioned Castro, he attempted to hide the firearm and lied to officers. He was arrested on site. The judge set bond at seventy-five thousand dollars. Hallstead tells AZFamily she has bullet fragments up and down her legs — too many to count. One fragment allegedly nicked an artery. Castro appears to have no prior criminal record. Investigators have not yet established a motive. Source: AZFamily, April 17, 2026.Next. Mesa Police have arrested Shaquenton Orr, 32, in connection with the murder of M.C. Oden, 31, at a Mesa apartment near Main Street and Stapley Drive. According to court documents, on March 17th, Orr allegedly fired shots through Oden's apartment window from outside the building. The bullets reportedly traveled through a television and struck Oden, who was found dead the following day by a family member. Surveillance footage and city traffic cameras placed a gray Dodge Durango — linked to Orr — at the scene at the time of the shooting. A 9mm handgun recovered at Orr's Phoenix apartment matched ammunition found at the crime scene. Court paperwork indicates Orr had eight prior felony convictions and was on probation at the time. The state described the killing as an unprovoked, planned attack. Bond was set at one million dollars, cash only. Source: AZFamily and Maricopa County court records, April 2026.The in-custody death of Eric Baker, 52, remains under investigation. According to the Mesa Police Department's timeline released April 7th, officers spotted Baker riding a bicycle without a front light on University Drive near Dobson Road. Baker allegedly fled on the bicycle, crashed, and resisted arrest by pulling away, refusing commands, and kicking at officers. Police used strikes and stun guns during a struggle lasting one minute and thirty-five seconds before Baker was handcuffed. About forty-five seconds after being cuffed, Baker was moved into a recovery position. He continued to display erratic behavior, yelling and flailing. Medical crews were unable to check his vitals due to his movements and transported him to the hospital, where he became unconscious en route and later died. The cause of death has not been determined. Baker had a felony warrant for his arrest. Source: AZFamily and Mesa Police Department, April 7, 2026.And finally, Mesa Police continue to seek additional victims in the alleged contractor fraud case against Edward Carr, 45. Carr was arrested in late March on charges of fraudulent schemes, theft, forgery, and engaging in contracting without a license. Investigators say Carr posed as a licensed contractor using fake names — including the alias Bryan Jones — to target homeowners through social media. One victim reportedly paid more than two hundred thirty thousand dollars for work that left her home with a damaged roof, broken AC drain lines, and ruined flooring. Another homeowner told police they woke up to find subcontractors tearing off their roof without a signed contract, ultimately costing them over forty thousand dollars. An engineer found the damage so severe the home may be uninhabitable. Carr is also a registered sex offender and was identified as a fugitive. Anyone with information is asked to contact Mesa Police at 480-644-2211. Source: AZFamily and Mesa Police Department, March 28, 2026.Four stories. Two shootings, one death in custody, and a con man with a fondness for other people's roofs. That's Mesa on the record.Monday out.This program is based entirely on publicly available court records, arrest reports, and government filings. All individuals discussed are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Agent Monday is a production of Quiet Please and Inception Point AI.This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AIThis episode includes AI-generated content.