A dangerous criminal was stopped by a DPS trooper in Nogales, Arizona, and proceeded to violently assault the trooper, attempting to kill him with the officer’s own weapon before being subdued by “about 10 cops or more,” according to a witness to the incident.
For context, an Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper was shot in Nogales on Sunday, June 8, by a man whose identity was later confirmed by press accounts as Daniel Ulyseses Covarrubias. Covarrubias is now behind bars at the Santa Cruz County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond.
Furthermore, according to KVOA News, Covarrubias is facing nine criminal charges, including first-degree murder, resisting arrest, and aggravated assault. Moreover, prosecutors have alleged that Covarrubias attempted to murder the injured DPS trooper using the trooper’s weapon.
In addition, a witness to the shooting spoke to KVOA News, describing the incident. “Two state troopers, they were yelling at this one dude,” the witness said, continuing, “When I looked over the dude half his face was covered in blood and one of the troopers had his sleeve on his shirt that was covered in blood.”
Moreover, the witness also confirmed that Covarrubias was “very much resisting arrest” after shooting the DPS trooper, adding that he was “fighting, resisting” and saying, “It took about 10 cops or more to pick him up and put him in the car. ”
Additionally, the owner of the El Dorado Hotel, which is located near where the shooting occurred, also provided insight about the incident to the press, telling KVOA, “This is very unusual, not very often this happen (sic).”
Thankfully, AZ Family News clarified that after the trooper was shot, he was “rushed to the hospital,” adding that he is “now being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Furthermore, the outlet confirmed that the other troopers present took Covarrubias into custody and that no other injuries occurred.
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Furthermore, a similar incident occurred on April 4, 2025, with the Arizona Department of Public Safety announcing in a press release that a state trooper was attacked with a butcher knife by a 41-year-old Tucson, AZ, resident named Robin Rae Budelli. According to the press release, Budelli “pulled a large butcher-style knife out of her purse, raised it above her head, and charged at the trooper while the trooper was approaching.”
Arizona DPS confirmed that after Budelli charged the trooper, ” The trooper subsequently shot the assailant, ending the attack.” The press release clarified, “The trooper immediately called for emergency medical services to respond and began rendering life-saving measures until additional assistance arrived.” However, according to DPS, “Budelli was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased.”
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