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Nancy Guthrie’s abduction from her house within the upscale Catalina Foothills north of Tucson, Arizona, shocked the nation.
She’s the 84-year-old mom of “Right now” present co-host Savannah Guthrie. She’s lived within the neighborhood for many years. And it isn’t identified for crime.
Tucson is, nonetheless, at the same time as Pima County crime is on the decline.
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Violence is widespread within the metropolis correct, with massive encampments the place meth and different medication are available and criminals reportedly exploit town’s free bus system to hold out offenses. These revelations are gaining scrutiny because the seek for Guthrie nears the top of its second week, and after surveillance video of a masked suspect on her entrance steps has led to 1000’s of suggestions however no arrests.
Fox Information Digital spoke with native enterprise proprietor Josh Jacobson, who works with the nonprofit Tucson Crime Free Coalition, which advocates for enough regulation enforcement staffing and sources, remedy for the needy and prosecution for criminals. Tucson is positioned in Pima County, and whereas he describes the county as “a comparatively decrease crime space,” he factors to Tucson as the issue.
Common view of a trailer park in Tucson, Arizona, on Sunday, February 8, 2026. (Kat Ramirez for Fox Information Digital)
“It is actually town of Tucson that is the place crime spins uncontrolled, and our deputies are actually concerned making an attempt to push crime again,” he mentioned.
Encampments containing drug and felony exercise, in accordance with Jacobson, are positioned about three miles from Guthrie’s house within the Catalina Foothills.
Fox Information Digital took photographs of the close by encampments — which comprise piles of junk, reminiscent of garments, open containers, containers, baggage and trash.
On the dump website on Thursday, nearly three miles from Guthrie’s house, Pima County deputies instructed Fox Information Digital they have been investigating property theft within the space. They mentioned their work was not linked to her disappearance.
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And with massive tracts of authorities land outdoors city, there’s loads of room for extra encampments.
As a 2020 COVID reduction measure, town of Tucson applied fare-free transit, as reported within the Arizona Day by day Star. Whereas it appears like a good suggestion to its supporters, in accordance with Jacobson, it’s contributed to the unfold of crime throughout Tucson and the county.
“It isn’t simply medication, nevertheless it’s additionally organized retail theft. It is burglaries. It is theft. It’s assaults,” he mentioned. “There’s been quite a lot of points which have come as a result of there is no accountability on our bus system.”Criminals use the free buses to their benefit, utilizing them as getaway automobiles after robbing a retailer within the midst of understaffed and under-resourced regulation enforcement, he instructed Fox Information Digital.
A culvert in an space close to Nancy Guthrie’s house in Tucson, Arizona, is packed filled with what authorities describe as “stolen stuff” on Thursday, February 12, 2026. (Derek Shook for Fox Information Digital)
“People will really time the bus in order that they’ll go into an enormous field retailer, steal a bunch of merchandise, run out and soar on the bus proper because it’s pulling up,” he mentioned.
The closest cease to Guthrie’s house is about 2.4 miles away, nonetheless, and there is hypothesis amongst specialists that she was pressured right into a car towards her will, making the bus routes unlikely in her case.
Nonetheless, for a lot of residents, calling 911 would possibly imply not seeing an officer for hours, Jacobson mentioned. Nuisance crimes might not even get reported.
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Some bus stops are additionally used as a hub for the distribution of narcotics, with individuals shopping for and promoting out within the open, along with smoking fentanyl or methamphetamines whereas driving the bus, in accordance with Jacobson.
Tucson is positioned about 60 miles north of the Mexico-U.S. border. When medication come throughout, they first go by Pima County, earlier than making their solution to different components of america, in accordance with Jacobson.
A map outlining varied areas in Tucson, Arizona, within the seek for Nancy Guthrie. (Fox Information)
“Pima County is without doubt one of the largest drug trafficking corridors within the state,” he mentioned.
Regardless of the prevalence of narcotics crimes, Jacobson alleges that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos doesn’t need to work with different businesses, together with Border Patrol and ICE.
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In Guthrie’s case, federal regulation enforcement sources have voiced frustration together with his alleged lack of cooperation — telling Fox Information Digital he waited two days to carry the FBI into the investigation and later sending key proof for testing at a personal lab in Florida as a substitute of the FBI’s state-of-the-art facility in Virginia.
In the meantime, because the FBI’s particular agent accountable for the Phoenix workplace was with the Guthrie household recording a video response to a purported ransom demand final week, Nanos attended an NCAA basketball recreation.
