PHOENIX, AZ (April 23, 2012) – Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Susanna Pineda has sentenced Anthony Robert Dose (D.O.B. 8/1/85) to spend the rest of his life in prison for killing a motorist with his car while attempting to flee Mesa police in October 2010. Dose was high on methamphetamine at the time of the incident. He will not be eligible for early release.
“It is fitting and just that this defendant will never again walk freely among us for taking an innocent life with such recklessness and disregard,” said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family along with our hope that this measure of justice can help ease the burden of grief they will carry forever,” he added.
At around 11:30pm on October 27, 2010, an unmarked Mesa Police patrol car observed Dose driving in excess of 100 miles per hour on eastbound US 60. When officers attempted to make a traffic stop while Dose was exiting the highway at Greenfield, Dose veered back on to the highway, cutting in front of another Mesa unmarked unit. Officers dropped back for safety reasons and called in the Mesa Police helicopter to follow Dose, who continued to drive recklessly at high speed. At one point he exited US 60 at Higley and re-entered the westbound side of the highway from the eastbound off-ramp. On two occasions, Dose drove his vehicle directly at oncoming patrol cars, which had to take evasive actions to avoid colliding with him.
After continuing to flee police on surface streets, Dose entered the 202 Red Mountain Freeway at Gilbert driving west in the eastbound lanes at approximately 120 miles per hour with his lights turned off. He turned to avoid a group of eastbound vehicles, narrowly missing another vehicle travelling behind the group and crashing head on into a vehicle driven by Michelle Pagano, who subsequently died from injuries sustained in the collision.
On December 9, 2010, a Grand Jury indicted Dose one count of first degree felony murder, one count of second degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of unlawful flight from law enforcement and one count of endangerment. He pled guilty to all counts on January 27, 2012 and was not offered a plea agreement.
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