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Fliers being passed out in I-10 shootings case

Posted at 10:18 PM, Sep 15, 2015
and last updated 2015-09-16 01:18:58-04

Arizona officials said Tuesday that its investigation into the multiple freeway shootings remains active and that it will begin to pass out fliers to various communities hoping to make as many people aware of the investigation as possible.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves said there have been no new confirmed shootings. There have been several reports of broken glass and damage, but those were caused by road debris or other hazards and not tied to the investigation.

SPECIAL SECTION: Latest updates in the Arizona freeway shootings investigation

DPS has printed handbills in both English and Spanish about the case, the $50,000 reward and the contact phone numbers hoping to reach more communities, including those who may not be following news updates, and will begin to pass them out soon.

On Monday and Tuesday, there were three reports of broken vehicle windows in the Tucson area, but all three were caused by road debris, said Graves at a Tuesday briefing with reporters.

INTERACTIVE: Is there a pattern to the freeway shootings?

Michael Bauersachs, a semi-truck driver who hauls goods between California and Phoenix, plans to avoid I-10 until the case is solved.

Something hit his truck cab Thursday morning as he was driving westbound on I-10 between 43rd and 51st avenues, he said. His case has not been confirmed as one of the eleven incidents that State detectives have been investigating. A DPS spokesperson previously said a "projectile" hit a truck cab in a scenario that matched Bauersachs' incident.

"The more it sinks in, the more it's like, 'Wow, that could have been my life,'" Bauersachs said of the incident.

Last Friday, 19-year-old Oscar De La Torre Munoz was detained by state troopers in a covert operation. He has been named a "person of interest" in the case, but was booked into jail on an unrelated marijuana charge. He has not been identified or charged as a suspect.

He said a task force has been created.

Graves encouraged the public to continue to remain aware of their surroundings and to contact authorities if they feel or see something suspicious.

The DPS tip line is 602-644-5805 and Silent Witness' tip line is 480-WITNESS.

MAP: Dates and locations of confirmed freeway shootings