Tucson Sheriff Chris Nanos Defends Arresting True Crime YouTubers Outside Nancy Guthrie's Catalina Foothills Home

Sheriff calls content creators a nuisance after neighborhood calls surge

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos defended the recent arrests of true crime YouTubers who camped outside the Tucson home of missing Nancy Guthrie, saying their presence became a nuisance to the Catalina Foothills neighborhood.

Nanos spoke about the June crackdown during an interview on KVOI AM 1030's "Buckmaster Show" on June 26. He said deputies issued multiple warnings before booking the individuals.

"In this case, we tried to be very reasonable," Nanos said. "We first put up deputies parked at this house to keep people away. Then it went to, okay, too many cars are parked here and the neighbors couldn't get by. So, we put up no parking signs. Temporary signs."

Neighborhood call volume nearly quadruples

Nanos told the radio host that police reports from the neighborhood jumped dramatically after the content creators set up operations near Guthrie's home.

"We went from a neighborhood that averaged 50 reports in a six month time to over 180, almost 200," Nanos said. "So we have to kind of balance that, and we thought we'd take an approach of, 'Hey, let's go and warn these people. You, you guys really should do this somewhere else.'"

Nanos said he even invited the streamers to camp outside his office instead of lingering in the residential area. He said the situation escalated when he said people could not urinate or defecate in front of the neighborhood.

"I didn't want to have to book anybody, but it got to a point where you know you cannot urinate or defecate in front of the neighborhood, you just can't do that," Nanos said. "And I had enough, and I said, 'That's it, they're going to go to jail.'"

Three content creators arrested in early June

According to the Pima County Sheriff's Department, three individuals were taken into custody in early June:

• Alexander Zabel Jr., 54, who runs the true crime page "Criminal Network," was arrested on June 8 and again on June 11 for live streaming outside Guthrie's residence
• Troy Lewis Bradshaw, known online as "DAA JUICE," was arrested and charged with public nuisance
• Damian Todd Enderle was cited with public nuisance and later released

The sheriff's department said on X that Zabel was arrested again on June 11 just before 5 p.m. while live streaming. Deputies said a PCSD sergeant was knocked to the ground during the arrest process.

Zabel later issued a statement defending his actions. He said he intended to keep Guthrie's name in the public eye and called himself an independent journalist exercising constitutional rights. He denied claims that he urinated on camera during a livestream.

"I am a true crime streamer, an independent journalist, and a citizen exercising rights protected by the Constitution," Zabel said in his statement.

Investigation nears five month mark with no suspect

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her Catalina Foothills home on February 1, 2026, after her son in law dropped her off around 9:48 p.m. A masked individual disconnected her doorbell camera at 1:47 a.m. Her pacemaker app disconnected from her phone at 2:28 a.m., suggesting she was moved out of range.

A friend contacted the family when Guthrie failed to appear for church. Relatives arrived at the property just before noon and called 911. Police arrived at 12:15 p.m. and determined Guthrie was missing under concerning circumstances.

Sheriff Nanos said on February 2 that he believed Guthrie was abducted. Investigators found signs of forced entry at the home. Blood drops confirmed to be Guthrie's were found outside the front door.

The FBI announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Guthrie's recovery or the conviction of those involved. The reward was later doubled to $100,000. Savannah Guthrie's family offered an additional $1 million for information.

According to a person familiar with the investigation who spoke to The Associated Press, investigators do not believe the abduction was part of a robbery, home invasion, or kidnapping for ransom plot. DNA samples have been gathered and submitted for analysis, but nothing has pointed to specific suspects.

"We've gotten some back, but nothing to indicate any suspects," Nanos said.

Savannah Guthrie asks for prayers

Savannah Guthrie, co-host of NBC's "Today" show, grew up in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona. She previously worked as a reporter and anchor at Tucson television station KVOA.

Guthrie described her mother as "a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant" in a social media post. She asked supporters to pray for her mother's safe return.

"Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. Bring her home," Savannah Guthrie wrote.

Sheriff Nanos has said Nancy Guthrie needs daily medication and could die without it. When asked whether officials were looking for her alive, he said, "We hope we are."

The investigation continues as the case approaches its five month mark. Law enforcement agencies including the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI have not provided a substantial update in recent months, according to the Arizona Republic.