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Apache Junction police detail harrowing kidnapping of teen neighbor held for hours

By
FOX 10 Phoenix
Crime and Public Safety
Published October 9, 2026 3:52 PM MST
Published October 9, 2026 3:52 PM MST
article

Police say an 18-year-old woman fought off her captor and convinced him to free her after being kidnapped at gunpoint in Apache Junction on Sept. 24 near 16th Avenue and San Marcos Drive.

The Brief

    • A 32-year-old Apache Junction man has been arrested after allegedly kidnapping and assaulting his 18-year-old neighbor.
    • Investigators say the suspect ambushed the victim with a gun around 1 a.m. on Sept. 24 as she returned home from work and held her for hours.
    • Police identified the suspect using a neighbor's surveillance footage and license plate technology, but they fear there may be additional victims and are asking the public for help.

APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. - A 32-year-old Apache Junction man has been arrested after being accused of kidnapping and assaulting an 18-year-old woman. Even with an arrest, police say the investigation is not over yet, and they still need the public's help.

'Every person's worst nightmare'

The backstory:

Police say the 18-year-old was held against her will for hours before convincing the suspect to let her go.

"It is like every person's worst nightmare. Every father's worst nightmare. It is something that should never happen and this young lady, it happened to her," said Apache Junction Chief of Police Michael Pooley.

Pedro Espinoza Torres, 32, is now facing charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault, and sexual abuse. Investigators say it happened around 1 a.m. on Sept. 24 as she was returning home from work in the area of 16th Avenue and San Marcos Drive.

"The suspect came out with a gun and pulled her out at gunpoint, put a bag over her head and took her to his residence," Pooley said.

Police say she was assaulted multiple times over several hours before finally convincing her captor to free her.

"She fought the entire night. Verbally, physically, to make sure she was able to survive and because of her actions, we were able to identify him and get him into custody," Pooley said.

Dig deeper:

The crucial lead was a neighbor's surveillance footage of his car when he brought her back home.

"With that video, we were able to use license plate technology, and we were able to identify the vehicle, which happened to be a neighbor about four houses down from where this young lady lived," Pooley said.

Even with his arrest, police are still asking for the public's help.

"Most people would not do this and be this brazen just out of the blue. We don't know if he's done this in the past, we don't know if he's done anything similar. That's why we're asking for the public's help," Pooley said.

What you can do:

Anyone with information is asked to contact Apache Junction police at 480-982-8260. Click here for more information about how to report a crime to Apache Junction police.

Map of the area where the incident happened

The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Michael Pooley, Apache Junction chief of police.

Crime and Public SafetyApache JunctionNews