Arizona sheriff warns drivers of I-10 rest stop robbery schemes

The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) is asking for help investigating rest stop robberies that occurred last year due to recent suspicious activity that could be related.

On February 6, 2025, CCSO issued a release asking for help identifying suspects involved in robberies that took place at a rest stop off of I-10 near San Simon, Arizona, in February 2024.

CCSO says that the renewed investigation into last year’s robberies comes due to a report of several individuals behaving suspiciously at the rest area this week, on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.

February 2024 Rest Area Robberies

CCSO provided details on two schemes targeting drivers at the I-10 rest area in February 2024.

“The first incident involved a driver who observed between 5-8 people celebrating in the parking lot and talking about a man giving away money after winning big at a casino. The driver approached the group to see what was going on when a male subject showed him several hundred dollars and offered to double what was in the victim’s pocket. When the driver checked his money (amounting to almost two thousand dollars), the suspect grabbed it and ran away. As the victim attempted to follow the suspect, he was physically held back from behind and then directed to a white truck which the person/people holding him advised the suspect was in. The victim stopped the truck and determined that the driver and sole occupant was NOT the suspect. The victim advised that other people all fled the area in multiple vehicles.

The second incident was the following day when a driver, who was sleeping at the rest area, was awakened by someone banging on his door and yelling that a “driver needed help”. The victim got out of his truck and attempted to follow the person to the location where someone needed help when he turned and observed a male subject in the passenger side of the truck. As the victim ran back to his vehicle someone tripped him and he fell hitting his head causing injury. The victim advised that between 5-8 subjects fled the area in multiple vehicles and they took a significant amount of money from inside the victim’s vehicle.“

Suspicious Activity Reported This Week

On Wednesday, CCSO was advised of “several people at a rest stop near San Simon behaving suspiciously and photos were taken for reference.”

As part of the investigation, police identified Adam Smith, 40, as an investigative lead. Smith’s last known address was on the east coast and he is known to associate with several other male and at least one female subject.

CCSO asks anyone with information to call their local law enforcement agency or call SEACOM at 520-803-3550.

Drivers are also advised to “take precautions, have situational awareness of their surroundings, and stay safe out there!”

CCSO released several images of the recent suspicious activity at the rest area to try to generate a lead in the investigation.