Man given citation for theft after befouling hospital walls

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

SAFFORD – Elias Newsom was given a citation for theft Thursday, Dec. 6, after being found in possession of sanitizer wipes and urine specimen bottles allegedly stolen from Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center (MGRMC). 

An officer was dispatched to the hospital at 1600 S. 20th Ave. at about 10:13 a.m. regarding a male patient, identified as Newsom, who had thrown soda all over an examination room. 

Upon arrival, the officer located Newsom and a female subject wiping soda stains off of the examination room’s southern and eastern walls. Newsom and the female allegedly said the spilled soda was an accident. 

The officer escorted Newsom and the woman to the parking lot but was then notified by hospital staff that holes were also discovered in the room and that they believed Newsom was to blame. 

The officer brought Newsom back to the examination room and asked him if he had anything in his pockets that could have made the holes. Newsom handed over a pocket knife but the officer could not positively identify if the knife had caused the damage. 

The officer then asked if Newsom had anything else in his pockets and eventually discovered 27 individual sanitizer wipes and two urine specimen bottles. 

The officer reported he could not definitively conclude that Newsom damaged the room, but had enough evidence to give him a citation for theft. 

After receiving his citation, Newsom and the woman were both escorted off hospital property. The officer’s report was then sent to prosecutors for review.