The sheriff's department investigating the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, could face legal action over its decision to detain a man early in the search.
Carlos Palazuelos, who was briefly apprehended by the Pima County Sheriff's Department in February, filed a notice of claim against the sheriff's department over the incident, according to NBC Phoenix affiliate KPNX. The notice is a formal document that is typically filled out when a person plans on bringing a lawsuit against a government entity.
On Feb. 10, deputies for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department detained someone during a traffic stop south of Tucson for questioning "in connection to the Nancy Guthrie investigation," the department confirmed to USA TODAY
at the time. Although deputies did not provide a name, Palazuelos later disclosed his identity in interviews with The New York Times and CNN.
The morning after Palazuelos was detained, the sheriff's department said he had been released without charges. While authorities have never publicly explained why he was detained, they said it was "part of follow-up on incoming leads."
Palazuelos is now accusing the Pima County Sheriff's Department of various abuses, including assault, false arrest, defamation and property damage, and seeking over $3 million in damages, according to KPNX. His mother-in-law and brother-in-law also plan to join the anticipated lawsuit against the department.
According to KPNX, Palazuelos, a DoorDash delivery driver, alleged he was traveling on the road when deputies pulled him over at gunpoint and detained him. During the search, Palazuelos said he was placed in handcuffs while authorities searched his vehicle and later his Rio Rico home. In the notice of claim, he alleges officers "invaded and ransacked" the residence, which led to significant property damage.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department declined to comment on Palazuelos' allegations amid the man's "pending litigation." In a statement to USA TODAY Friday, July 31, a spokesperson for the department said, "Sheriff [Chris Nanos] has said in multiple interviews that no one has been cleared in this case. This is an ongoing and active investigation."
In his notice of claim, Palazuelos alleged the search warrant for his detention was "obtained through deceptive or misleading representations to the issuing court, was based on shoddy police work and did not establish probable cause," per KPNX.
As a result of the incident, Palazuelos' filing states he has suffered physical, emotional and reputational harm, according to KPNX. His attorneys also accused the sheriff's department of refusing to clear his name following his release. Palazuelos and his family are requesting a combined $3.25 million to settle the case.
Palazuelos' legal action comes as the high-profile missing person's investigation reaches its six-month mark.
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Feb. 1 and has not been seen since she returned home from a family game night the prior evening. Investigators in Arizona believe she was taken from her home against her will. So far, no arrests have been made amid the ongoing search.
In February, the FBI released images of a suspect appearing to tamper with the camera at Nancy's front door before her disappearance, but authorities have yet to identify the individual. The person in the images is described as a man, "approximately 5'9"-5'10" tall, with an average build," who was "wearing a black, 25-liter 'Ozark Trail Hiker Pack' backpack."
Nancy Guthrie sheriff gives update on investigation evidence
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos shared an update on the search for Nancy Guthrie in an interview with "CBS Morning News" on Friday, July 31.
The sheriff said that hair previously found at the scene of Nancy's Arizona home came back inconclusive after being examined. This means the evidence is currently not linked to any suspects in the case. Additionally, Nanos said blood and other DNA have similarly not yielded results.
Nanos addressed the dead end in a separate interview with NBC News. "To find DNA on hair is extremely rare. Hair doesn't produce DNA like touch DNA or bodily fluids," he told the outlet.
While a suspect has yet to be publicly identified, Nanos suggested Nancy Guthrie's disappearance could have been carried out by someone from her local community.
"Do I have evidence of it? No. But let's look at crime across the country," Nanos said on "CBS Morning News." "Ninety [to] 95 percent of your criminals are right here, locally."
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man detained in Nancy Guthrie search seeks $3M after police probe
