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AJ Police seek more victims in kidnapping case
Apache Junction police search for potential victims after uncovering cellphone video evidence. FOX 10's Megan Spector reports.
APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. - New exclusive surveillance video shows the moment Apache Junction police say 32-year-old Pedro Espinoza Torres kidnapped his 18-year-old neighbor at gunpoint on Sept. 24, holding her captive just a few doors down. During that time, police say she was secretly building a trail for investigators.
"An example of what she did was take her fingerprints, her bloody fingerprints, and put them on walls in inconspicuous places," said Cmdr. Cindy Ewer of the Apache Junction Police Department. "She was very detailed in her memory of what the house looked like and the rooms that she was in."
Ewer went on to say the victim was able to draw from her own knowledge of crime TV shows.
"When asked, like, how do you remember this? She’s like, well I’ve watched it on true-crime shows, you know. I’ve seen this done on TV," said Cmdr. Cindy Ewer of the Apache Junction Police Department. "Everything she told us lined up exactly with what we saw when we went into the home."
The backstory:
Police say the hours-long kidnapping ended when the teen convinced her captor to let her go. Surveillance video of his vehicle quickly led investigators to his house. Fearing Espinoza Torres may have targeted others, police put out a public call for tips.
One came from an Apache Junction grandfather whose family recognized the suspect's Jeep from FOX 10 news coverage.
"My daughter and my granddaughters called me and said Pop-pop, the story about the guy that I saw is on the news," Myke Tripp said.
His 21-year-old granddaughter was never attacked, but says the same suspect followed her on foot and in that Jeep months ago in Mesa. She called her sister, who rushed to meet her and snapped photos.
"Oh man my heart sank. It was kind of like the most horrific thoughts you can think of because based upon the story that was just being released and knowing that my granddaughter came within a similar situation of that was really kind of dramatic," Tripp said.
Apache Junction police detail harrowing kidnapping of teen neighbor held for hours
Pedro Espinoza Torres was arrested following the Sept. 24 kidnapping of his 18-year-old neighbor in Apache Junction, police say. Authorities fear there may be additional victims or past incidents.
Local perspective:
Now the investigation has expanded. Police recently searched Espinoza Torres' cellphone and discovered a video being recorded through a window. Investigators are now looking to identify the person in the video.
"The video that we found basically shows somebody, it looks like they go up to the outside of a house, and they crawl up over a window and start looking in the window and they’re taking the video of this young woman," Ewer said.
Police note Espinoza Torres was a food delivery driver, making his daily movements difficult to map. Anyone who recognizes the home in that photo or has had encounters with Espinoza Torres is urged to contact Apache Junction police immediately.
What's next:
Espinoza Torres remains behind bars, facing multiple felony charges including kidnapping, aggravated assault, and sexual abuse. Court records show he has no prior major criminal history in Arizona, only a handful of past traffic violations.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Cmdr. Cindy Ewer with the Apache Junction Police Department; Myke Tripp, a local grandfather; and Arizona court records.