A 34-year-old man is facing felony charges after court records allege he pulled a teenage boy off his bike, choked him against a railing, and threatened to kill him along a riverwalk bike path near Craycroft Road last week. Landale Brown now faces charges of aggravated assault on a minor under 15, kidnapping, and criminal damage stemming from the encounter.
According to a criminal complaint cited by KOLD, three teens were riding their bikes along the trail on October 8 when Brown gave them a thumbs up as they passed. Moments later, one of the teens noticed his bike battery was running low, and the group turned around to head back — a decision that put them back in Brown's path, the complaint states.
That's when, per the complaint, Brown allegedly stepped directly into the teens' route and knocked one of the boys off his bike. The bike was damaged in the incident, with an estimated $2,800 in damage, while the teen fell and injured his knee.
Choked Against a Railing, Police Say
The complaint alleges Brown then grabbed the teen by the throat and held him against a railing for roughly 20 seconds. The teen later told authorities he had trouble breathing during the encounter and was left with a visible mark on his neck, according to the same complaint reviewed by the station.
Brown also allegedly threatened to kill the teen, prompting someone to call police, the complaint says. Brown was subsequently arrested and charged.
What the Charges Could Mean
Under Arizona law, the charges carry significant weight given the age of the alleged victim and the nature of the accusations. Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1204 elevates an assault committed by an adult against a child under 15 from a misdemeanor to a felony aggravated assault charge, according to the Salwin Law Group.
The kidnapping charge also carries steep potential consequences. Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1304 classifies kidnapping as a Class 2 felony by default, carrying a potential prison term of 7 to 21 years for a first-time offense when a person knowingly restrains another to inflict injury or instill fear of imminent harm, per the Feldman Royle Ahl firm. Notably, Arizona law does not require moving a victim a significant distance for restraint to constitute kidnapping.
As for the damaged bicycle, Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1602 classifies recklessly or intentionally damaging property valued between $2,000 and $10,000 as a Class 5 felony, punishable by up to 2.5 years in prison, according to Kolsrud Law Offices. The charges against Brown remain allegations at this stage, pending further court proceedings.
A Trail System Already Under Scrutiny
The incident took place along the Chuck Huckelberry Loop near River and Craycroft. The Loop itself spans roughly 137 miles of paved, car-free trails encircling the Tucson metro area through Pima County, Marana, Oro Valley, and South Tucson, per Pima County.
This incident lands amid heightened concern over safety along the trail network. A Pima County survey released in June found that although the Loop draws about 20,000 users monthly, more than 40% of surveyed trail users reported feeling unsafe, as reported by Arizona Luminaria. Pima County had ended its private security guard program in July 2025, before the survey period.
Enrique Mercado was fatally stabbed while riding on a section of the Loop near East Wetmore Road in September 2025, an attack that rattled the local cycling community. In response, the Tucson Police Department launched targeted enforcement deployments along riverbed washes and trail corridors that October, according to KVOA.
Local Governments Respond With New Initiatives
The Pima County Board of Supervisors adopted the One Pima Initiative in November 2025, directing county agencies to develop a Loop Improvement Plan focused on public safety and cleanups along the trail system. Police also conducted a deployment along the Loop.
Whether those broader safety efforts will extend further into stretches like the Rillito River Park Trail near Craycroft remains to be seen. For now, the case against Brown moves forward through the court system as investigators and prosecutors build on the complaint's allegations.
