A Rio Rico man who was detained and held at gunpoint by law enforcement as a person of interest in the Nancy Guthrie abduction investigation earlier this year has filed a notice of claim along with two family members seeking more than $3 million.
The claim was filed against Pima County, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Chris Nanos over claims they damaged both his reputation and the family home.
The notice of claim, a required precursor to filing a lawsuit against a government agency, stems from a Feb. 10 incident in which deputies detained Carlos Alfredo Palazuelos at gunpoint after he stopped his vehicle to figure out why he was being followed.
Palazuelos was in the back seat of a patrol car as deputies executed a search warrant
at a Rio Rico residence where they detained Daniel Maddox, who was home alone playing video games with headphones on at the time, according to the claim.
Daniel Maddox got up after a “bang or crashing sound” and initially thought it was his parents returning home when he encountered multiple men outfitted with military gear pointing guns at him, the claim said. He complied with their demands to lie on the ground before being handcuffed and led to a van where he was held for hours.
Josefina Maddox, Daniel’s mother and the homeowner, later found deputies had caused significant property damage during their search of the home, including a caved-in front door and damaged ceiling tiles.
The claim argues a Detective Earl Gieron lacked probable cause to obtain the search warrant and alleges it was “obtained through deceptive or misleading representations to the issuing court, was based on shoddy police work, and did not establish probable cause.”
It described the Sheriff’s Department’s decision to detain Palazuelos as a “misguided attempt to shield itself and Sheriff Nanos from public criticism related to their handling of the case and to boost Sheriff Nanos’ public profile.”
Palazuelos told reporters shortly after being released that he hoped the case would be resolved soon.
“I hope they get the suspect, because I’m not it,” he said. “They better do their job and find the suspect that did it so they can clear my name. Because I’m done.”
As for why he attracted attention from law enforcement, Palazuelos didn't know.
“If I would have known that answer, I would have given it to you, but I don’t,” he said.
Since his high profile detainment and labeling as a person of interest in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, Palazuelos and his family have continued to be followed and photographed.
“Despite requests by undersigned counsel, Sheriff Nanos and the PCSD have refused to retract their statements or to make clear that Carlos is innocent and had no involvement in the Guthrie case,” the claim states.
The claim offers to settle matter for $2.5 million for Palazuelos, $500,000 for Daniel Maddox and $250,000 for Josefina Maddox.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has 60 days from July 27, the day the notice of claim was dated, to respond or wait for a lawsuit to be filed.
The Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on the notice of claim, citing pending litigation, according to spokesperson Detective Sean Ramsey.
Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at perry.vandell@arizonarepublic.com or 480-341-9433. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @PerryVandell.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man detained by deputies in Guthrie investigation threatens lawsuit
