Arizona man detained in SWAT operation denies link to Nancy Guthrie abduction
TUCSON, Ariz. — Two ex-cons from Tucson are facing intense online scrutiny in the Nancy Guthrie case despite authorities accusing neither of involvement — even after one was detained for hours in a SWAT raid and released without charges.
They are Luke Daley, 36, and Kayla Day, 32. Neither have been accused of playing a role in Guthrie’s disappearance.
Day was already in jail at the Pima County Adult Detention Complex during the operation targeting Daley last week, for allegedly skipping court dates on unrelated charges. The raid went on for hours on Feb. 13, with dozens of law enforcement vehicles seen at a home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood and more surrounding a Range Rover at a nearby Culver's restaurant.
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Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital detail the May 2025 arrests of both of them in a Walmart parking lot.
Daley was arrested by the Marana Police Department in Pima County on May 15, 2025, accused of selling drugs, possessing paraphernalia and a gun despite a prior felony conviction, according to the filings.
Officers allegedly witnessed "indicators of illegal drug transactions" centered on a vehicle he was driving.
Although Daley’s complaint does not identify the passenger, Day was also arrested on May 15 at the same Walmart location, and her complaint states she was with a male driver. She also faces drugs and weapons charges in connection with the incident.
Police approached the vehicle where they saw a used syringe with heroin-like residue, according to a probable cause affidavit. Daley and the passenger were subsequently detained.
Read the court documents:
A search of the vehicle found heroin paraphernalia, a 9 mm pistol with a loaded magazine, about a thousand opioid pills, suboxone strips and $1,366 in cash, police alleged.
Daley appeared in court on Jan. 12, and is currently out of custody. His jury trial was rescheduled from Feb. 24 to May 19, according to court documents.
He was the target of a search warrant on Feb. 13, in which Pima County deputies and the FBI detained people for hours, including Daley and his mother. They were released without charges. None have been accused of playing a role in Guthrie’s suspected abduction.
A Range Rover was towed during the incident, but it was not immediately clear whether it belonged to him. A neighbor told Fox News Digital earlier this week that Daley’s totaled Dodge Charger had been towed by his insurance provider after the raid due to an unrelated crash.
The neighbor added that Daley was "pissed" about the SWAT raid, and his mother was upset because she doesn’t know what’s going on — adding that "everyone wants Nancy Guthrie found."
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The Pima County Sheriff declined to comment regarding Friday’s activity and whether any vehicles towed so far in the case had been returned to their owners.
The Range Rover, which had been searched at the scene and sealed with evidence tape before the tow, was not visible from the perimeter of the sheriff’s impound lot when visited by Fox News Digital Tuesday.
"We have no additional comments at this time besides the information released in our updates," a public information officer told Fox News Digital.
Additional court documents reveal Day was also arrested on March 19, 2025, on four more drug-related charges.
Authorities allegedly found Day passed out in the driver’s seat. They saw in "plain view" the presence of drug paraphernalia, according to the complaint. She was asked to step out of the vehicle and allegedly responded with slurred speech and confusion.
She was arrested, and arresting officers said they found opioid pills, a white crystalline substance, a black tar substance and evidence of heroin use.
A warrant was issued for Day’s arrest in January, accusing her of missing court dates in her pending cases.
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She is currently being held without bail, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, but she refused transport to her Feb. 18, court date.
It was rescheduled to Feb. 27, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department was ordered to transport Day "by any means necessary," according to court documents.
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Daley’s lawyer Chris Scileppi and Day's lawyer Nicholas Brereton both declined to comment when contacted by Fox News Digital.
In a statement to 12 News, a local outlet, Scileppi disavowed any connection to the Guthrie case.
"Scileppi Law can confirm that Luke Daley was the subject of two search warrants issued and served on February 13, 2026," he said. "Mr. Daley and his mother were both detained by law enforcement while the search warrants were being executed.
Both were released without charges, he said.
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"Mr. Daley has no link whatsoever to Nancy Guthrie and has no information related to her kidnapping," Scileppi added. "Like the entire Tucson community, both Mr. Daley and his mother are hopeful that Nancy will be returned to her family unharmed."
A masked suspect in Guthrie's apparent abduction has been described as standing between 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall, with an average build. He was carrying a black Ozark Trail brand backpack and what appears on video to be a holstered pistol.
She is believed to have been abducted from her home in Tucson's Catalina Foothills around 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 1 — about 2 miles from Daley's home.
Authorities have said that DNA recovered from a glove in the area was not a match for the FBI's CODIS database — suggesting it does not belong to someone with a criminal history like Daley or Day.