Arizona Police Startled By Gila Monster During DUI Arrest

A man with numerous felony warrants was arrested in Mesa over the weekend after police found him passed out behind the wheel of a running car. 12 News reported that Brandon Denney, 37, was arrested on Sunday night near Southern Avenue and Signal Butte Road.

Denney was found with a prescription pill bottle in his hand. According to the Mesa Police Department, he had red eyes and dilated pupils when the officers woke him up. There was cocaine, meth, a fentanyl pill, and drug paraphernalia in the car.

Officers also found a Gila monster inside a box in the car while they were conducting a sobriety test. Denney told police that he ran over the animal so he picked it up to see if it was hurt. But despite his claim, the animal was not actually injured. It was turned over to the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Investigators found that Denney was wanted in California and Nevada for crimes ranging from kidnapping to attempted grand larceny of a motor vehicle.

Denney was arrested for DUI and may face additional charges for having the Gila Monster. It is illegal to own or sell a Gila monster in Arizona without a permit. His bonds amount to $1.4 million.