BY LAUREN TOMLIN | APRIL 8, 2015
Scottsdale home invasion
Two male suspects were allegedly involved in the home invasion of victim Lee Scott McDonald. They had the intent to commit a theft or felony with the possession of a deadly weapon, on March 8, according to a police report. The following information was disclosed in the police report.
Witness statements indentify the two male suspects as Christopher Celeste and Anthony Wood Maguire who were arrested on March 17.
At approximately 11:30 p.m. the Scottsdale Police Department officers responded to a call on the 5000 block of E. Thomas Rd., in Scottsdale about an armed robbery that just occurred.
McDonald had opened his door as he believed the male outside was a friend. McDonald was then confronted by an adult male who he did not know who allegedly had a handgun. The subject forced McDonald into his apartment, then entered and stole $21 from the victim’s wallet.
Another uninvited male wearing a ski mask had entered the apartment and attempted to change his voice to hide his identity. McDonald had recognized the suspect with the disguise as potentially being one of his friends named Chris.
The two suspects then went through the apartment looking for valuable items and found a small amount of crystal methamphetamine McDonald had for his own personal use.
The suspects wanted to restrain McDonald by rope and the handgun was allegedly passed from the first suspect to the one in disguise. McDonald became defensive, picked up the computer monitor near him, hit the disguised suspect in the head and tried to grab the handgun and fire it. After McDonald’s attempt to fire the handgun, the first suspect began to assault McDonald with a sharp instrument that is believed to be a box cutter style blade.
McDonald was later transported to hospital because of multiple lacerations to his arms and back, and was given 150 sutures and many staples.
A witness around the scene attempted to help the situation by holding down one of the suspects but had failed; the two suspects then fled the scene in a vehicle.
After trying to misguide the police in their investigation, Christopher Celeste admitted to being a part of the robbery. The other suspect Anthony Wood Maguire was the one who planned the robbery.
Celeste revealed to police he had a previous relationship with McDonald and he thought McDonald would have money and methamphetamine. Celeste admitted to having an addiction to methamphetamine.
According to Kevin Watts the Scottsdale Public Information Officer, home invasions “occur time to time but it is not the norm. Additionally, we see some type of connection between the suspect and victim.”
“There is no additional information,” said Kevin Watts after a follow up on the police report.
According to the neighborhood watch coordinator Joy Racine, there is not a neighborhood watch in this community but there are some active neighborhood watches in surrounding areas.
The offense the two men were charged with was a dangerous felony since there were threatening uses of a possibly deadly weapon.
