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Moab • The man suspected of shooting a state parks ranger outside Moab over the weekend was a "cannon ready to go off," the man's former father-in-law said Monday, as searchers continued to pore over the rugged desert landscape where Lance Leeroy Arellano was thought to be hiding.

Craig Ward said his former son-in-law had problems with drugs but had more issues after he and Ward's daughter divorced in 1998.

"He's been a cannon ready to go off ever since then. He's hated authority figures. He's always been in trouble with the law," Ward said.

As the third full day of a massive manhunt concluded with few results Monday evening, plenty of questions remained about the Friday shootout. An army of law enforcement officers resumed their search Tuesday morning on the ground and in the air.

Ranger Brody Young, 34 was shot more than three times about 8:40 p.m. during a traffic stop near Poison Spider trailhead.

Police have not been able to speak with Young, who has been in and out of surgery, about the circumstances that led to the shooting.

He had improved Monday and was listed in serious condition at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colo.

Police believe Arellano was shot in the lower leg. Hundreds of officers have set up a perimeter to contain Arellano, but so far have only found a backpack with some supplies and a bloody T-shirt. They believe Arellano has a .40-caliber handgun and possibly a light jacket, but is not prepared to spend a great deal of time in the outdoors.

Police said Arellano likely left his pack because he feared police were closing in.

"The theory is that we think he got to this position and needed to change or do something to his wound," said Grand County Sheriff Jim Nyland. "I think while he was doing that, I think our teams were getting fairly close to him and closing in on both sides. I think that's why he took the route we think he took to evade them. He just panicked and took off."

Nyland said he believed Arellano was still in the area near Dead Horse State Park on Monday and was still alive despite spending Sunday night without food and in freezing temperatures.

The crevices and caves that have caused havoc for searchers combing the area near Caveman Ranch could also provide shelter for Arellano.

"You get back in an area like that, the temperature wouldn't bother him all that much," Nyland said. "It would be cold, but it wouldn't be like it was outside."

On Sunday, searchers found fresh tracks leading to a large boulder field near the ranch, Nyland said. Tuesday's search efforts would focus on that field as well as another area northeast of where Arellano's silver Pontiac was discovered over the weekend.

"After tomorrow, we should know for sure," Nyland said. "We hope that we have every hole and every crack checked by tomorrow night."

Even with another blast of winter weather expected Tuesday, Nyland said he expected again to put about 140 searchers on the ground.

"We're going to do the ground search tomorrow no matter what the weather is," he said. "That's what has to be done and the men are prepared to do that."

Weather permitting, helicopters could again assist in the search. That's where volunteer pilot Jeremy Johnson has spent the past three days, from sunup to sundown, taking in a bird's-eye view of the fractured earth.

Johnson, of St. George, volunteered his time and aircraft searching for Arellano as soon as he heard a ranger had been shot Friday. After nearly a day of searching, he made a discovery of his own: He served an LDS mission in Missouri with the injured officer in the mid-1990s.

"I didn't even know who it was until I had already been here for a day," Johnson said. "They told me it was Brody Young and I asked how old he was. Then I saw his picture."

For Johnson, who has volunteered to fly helicopters for numerous police and relief operations, the manhunt outside of Moab has become something more.

"It got really personal," he said. "I'm more pissed off now. I'm really motivated to find this guy.

"Anyone that knows Brody knows he's a really happy, funny guy," said Johnson. "He's really a kind person. Doesn't have a mean bone in his body."

Johnson has been in charge of scouring the redrock desert from above, searching for signs of the wounded shooter. At times, Johnson lands his helicopter to allow SWAT officers a chance to search boulders, caves and crevices.

"I'll stay as long as they'll let me," Johnson said. "There are a lot of guys out here. Everyone here is really personally invested in catching this guy."

Police tied Arellano to the shooting by matching him to a silver Pontiac found in the desert outside Moab.

Don Robinson, Arellano's boss at KDC Custom Woodworks in Mapleton, sold the car to Arellano to help him get to work.

At different points while working for KDC, Arellano missed work for weeks at a time because of outstanding warrants, Robinson said.

Arellano's criminal history includes possession of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct, a search of court records shows. Arellano had an outstanding warrant in connection with a traffic citation and a marijuana charge.

"I let him come back and told him to straighten up his act," he said.

The last time, he was gone for several months.

"His mom told me he was just afraid to go in before the judge and he was just afraid to go, so he had warrants out," Robinson said. "They pulled him over and hauled him off to jail one morning. I didn't see him for nine months."

"He came back and wanted work, and I said no."

In total, Arellano spent about two years as a furniture maker in the shop.

"At one point he had told my son. 'I'm not going back to jail again,' " said Robinson, who saw Arellano's picture on TV before work Monday. "But that was really a shocker. Why would he shoot an officer? In all the time he was here, he never seemed violent or anything like that."

Recently, Arellano began living with his mother in central Utah. He was kicked out again about a week ago, Ward said, adding he believes Arellano came straight to Moab.

Ward said his daughter and teenage granddaughter were struggling with the news of the shooting.

"He's probably thinking [the ranger] is dead right now," he said. "No matter what, he's going to spend the rest of his life in prison, and I know he wouldn't take that course. He'd take the opposite. He'd opt himself out before he'd go to prison.

"He told his daughter that if he ever died, he wanted his ashes sprinkled down in Moab because that's where he loved to be."

— Reporter Bob Mims contributed to this report —

How to help

Donations may be made to the Brody Young Benefit Fund at Wells Fargo Bank.

Cards and letters

Brody Young No. 454 1192 E. Draper Parkway

Draper, 84020 —

Young family statement

The family of Brody Young on Monday afternoon released a statement:

"We, the family of Utah State Park Ranger Brody Young, who was shot in the line of duty on Friday, November 19, wish to thank the communities of Utah and Colorado, in particular the police officers and medical teams that responded so quickly and efficiently. We are grateful for the outpouring of prayers and support.

"We also want to thank the mother of the suspect for coming forward with essential information to aid the authorities. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family for their heartbreak. We are especially grateful to all those who are involved in the search and investigation efforts. We pray that no one else will be hurt.

"Brody is in serious but stable condition and is being cared for by the staff at St. Mary's Hospital and Regional Medical Center. At this time, we are unable to grant interviews. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this stressful time."