J.T. Ready had 13 encounters with Gilbert police since 2008, and corresponding police reports depict an armed vigilante with a short temper, racially charged motives and a history of domestic-violence accusations.
Long before his deadly rampage on May 2 that left five dead, including himself, Ready had multiple run-ins with police as a victim, witness and suspect, according to records obtained by The Arizona Republic.
Ready, 39, killed Lisa Mederos, 47; her daughter Amber Mederos, 23; Amber's 15-month-old daughter, Lilly; and Amber's fiance, Jim Hiott, 24, before killing himself. Relatives believe he flew into a rage when Lisa Mederos and other family members told him to move out of the house in Gilbert that Lisa Mederos owned. Ready and Lisa Mederos had been living together for about a year.
A self-styled border vigilante with neo-Nazi ties, Ready twice tried to choke Lisa Mederos in 2011, according to a police report based on her efforts in February to have him arrested on domestic-violence charges. Police told her there was insufficient evidence to arrest him, particularly since both alleged choking incidents had occurred months earlier.
The other police reports involving Ready detail a history of erratic behavior. They include the following incidents:
June 9, 2009: Ready told police he suspected two men of writing gang-related graffiti on a picnic table at his apartment complex in Gilbert. Ready judged one of the men, who was Hispanic, to be a gang member "just from his look" and said he was throwing gang signs at passing vehicles. No arrests were made.
June 21, 2009: Ready reported receiving obscene messages from a man he had recently met at a rally in Phoenix for Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Ready said the messages included pornographic images depicting bestiality, genitalia and sexual acts. Police were unable to find the suspect.
June 22, 2009: Ready was arrested on suspicion of driving with a suspended license. An officer had stopped Ready's vehicle due to windows that were too heavily tinted. Ready advised the officer he had guns in the vehicle, including one in the passenger seat and another on his ankle. The officer asked if Ready had a concealed-weapons permit, and he said it was expired. Ready was arrested, and the vehicle was impounded.
Aug. 8, 2009: Ready's then-girlfriend, Angela Ferguson, told police Ready assaulted her while in a vehicle. Police observed Ferguson had blood trailing down both of her legs, a bloodied lip and red marks around her neck. Ready, however, told police Ferguson had leapt from the vehicle after become angry and hitting him. The officer determined Ready had not choked Ferguson but rather had grabbed her to prevent her leaping from the car. No charges were filed.
May 3, 2010: Ready visited Gilbert police headquarters to promote the National Socialist Movement's "Report an Illegal Day."
May 6, 2010: Police responded to a report of disorderly conduct at AutoZone, near Cooper and Warner roads in Gilbert, where Ready worked. Ready was involved in a heated confrontation with a customer and was shouting obscenities. The manager told police Ready had been fired for his behavior.
Aug. 22, 2011: Ready called police to report "suspicious behavior" after seeing a man peering into a neighboring home. Further investigation revealed the man was paid by a bank to check whether the foreclosed home was occupied. Ready confronted the man, leading to a heated verbal exchange.
Nov. 1, 2011: A police officer reported following Ready's Chevrolet Impala, which had a bumper sticker that said, "Stay back 100 meters or you will be shot" and appeared to repeat the phrase in Arabic. The officer ran the license plates and followed him for 2 miles but found no reason to stop the vehicle.
