Tempe police are asking for the public's help in locating a 21-year-old suspect in a homicide case that left one man dead.
Larry Dean Tellis Jr., who is considered armed and dangerous, is wanted on first-degree murder in the death of Allen Cropper. Cropper died after he was shot at the Hayden Lane Apartments, 1896 E. Hayden Lane, on Jan. 18. Two other victims were shot and injured during the crime.
On Jan. 25, Tempe police arrested Blaine Christopher Griffin, Jr., 20, who was charged with first degree murder and armed robbery in connection to Cropper's death. Investigators determined that Griffin Jr. and Tellis Jr. were inside Cropper's apartment on Jan. 18 to purchase marijuana when a physical altercation ensued. The altercation escalated when Griffin and Tellis fired shots inside the residence, police said. Cropper was struck during the incident and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Tellis Jr., who was caught on video surveillance, is a 5-feet 7-inches tall, black male, who weighs 250 pounds and has short shaven hair.
A reward of up to $1,000 has been set up for information leading up to his arrest.
Anyone with information can call Tempe police at (480) 350-8311 or Silent Witness at (480) 948-6377 (www.silentwitness.org) or 911 in an emergency.
Contact writer: (480) 898-6533 or msakal@evtrib.com
Juggernaut8000 posted at 8:27 am on Sat, Feb 11, 2012.
Oh dear...they said he is black and not 'dark skinned'. The ACLU and NAACP should sue because his rights have been violated and this poor struggling black man needs assistance because he has been held back by society.
If whites didn't hold him back he would have been a doctor or engineer and we all should pull together and help him. An account has been set up to assist his defense because he is innocent and is a victim of a prejudice criminal justice system.
Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton should have another march in Phoenix to proclaim this animal's innocence and make more excuses why he is a criminal and not a contributing part of society.