Angela Tramont, of Massachusetts, had met Phoenix police officer Dario Dizdar online a few months back before flying to Arizona to meet him. She was found dead less than 24 hours after arriving in the state.
Phoenix police officer Dario Dizdar, who had been hiking with his date Angela Tramonte shortly before she was found dead on the trail Friday, has previously lied about his identity to Arizona police, the Daily Beast reported.
Dizdar was disciplined in 2009 for allegedly lying about his name and age during a 2009 criminal investigation, the Daily Beast reported, citing an internal affairs document.
Dizdar was disciplined and placed on the Maricopa County Attorney's Office's "Brady List," which tracks police officers whose integrity they find concerning because of past misconduct, internal Phoenix Police Department documents obtained by ABC 15 in 2020 said.
Dizdar was at a lounge in Glendale, Arizona, in September 2009 when he identified himself to Glendale police officer as a cop, but gave a name and date of birth that was not his, the internal affairs document said, according to the Daily Beast. He was being questioned by the officer about a friend who allegedly had been assaulted outside of the bar. He also gave the police officer the wrong number for the alleged victim, the document stated.
Dizdar told his supervisor what happened, apologized and then cooperated with the investigation into the alleged assault.
Dizdar is still on the Brady List, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said, according to the Daily Beast.
The Phoenix Fire Department, however, confirmed that Dizdar did identify himself as a police officer to emergency responders last week when Tramonte was discovered unresponsive and later pronounced dead, according to The Daily Beast.
Tramonte, from Saugus, Massachusetts, had met Dizdar online about two months ago before flying to Phoenix at the end of July to meet him, according to a GoFundMe page. She had been in the state for less than 24 hours at the time of her death.
She and Dizdar, who identified himself to first responders as her boyfriend, had been on a hike through Echo Canyon Trail at Camelback Mountain on Friday, July 30, officials said.
Tramonte reportedly "turned around halfway" up the trail after feeling overheated, the Arizona Republic reported.
DIzdar told authorities he wanted to continue to the top of the mountain, according to ABC15.
Capt. Rob McDade, a spokesperson for the Phoenix Fire Department, said the pair planned to meet at the parking lot but Dizdar could not find her when he returned to the bottom, according to the Republic.
She was discovered at the 2,706-foot peak unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. There were no traumatic injuries observed during the initial investigation or during the initial autopsy, police said.
All of her belongings were reportedly still inside of her car, authorities said. A witness who was also hiking the same trail that day told ABC 15 that he saw a pair hiking together and then saw Dizdar approaching people at the bottom asking if anyone had seen her.
There have been no criminal charges filed in connection to Tramonte's death and her cause of death is "pending" by the coroner's office.
"At this time there is no evidence to indicate foul play is suspected in connection with Ms. Tramonte’s tragic death," a spokesperson for Phoenix Police Department said, "The City employee who was with Ms. Tramonte is a witness and is cooperating with investigators. He has been granted personal time off and has been offered resources to deal with this tragedy."
Meanwhile, loved ones are still looking for answers to Tramonte's death.
“Angela lived a very healthy, active lifestyle. She woke up early every morning to go the gym. She did weekly meal planning and was obsessed with drinking water,” a GoFundMe created in her honor said. “We just want justice for our friend. Please consider donating to help us bring Angela's body home and pay for funeral expenses.”
