Registered sex offender among two brothers arrested in teen girl assault, kidnapping
Details emerge in Miami teen kidnapping arrest
A Turquoise Alert for a missing 13-year-old girl led to the arrest of brothers Manuel and Patrick Sanchez in Miami, Arizona. Police say the teen was held against her will and sexually assaulted. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.
GILA COUNTY, Ariz. - More information is emerging about the arrest of two brothers in Globe after police say a 13-year-old girl was taken last Friday, June 19, and driven across county lines.
Police say the teen was held against her will and sexually assaulted between the time she was taken last Friday and the arrests were made Wednesday, June 24.
What we know:
Two days after that arrest, police tape is still up all around this Miami home, leaving neighbors on edge.
"We're pretty terrified because we'd heard the news about the little girl being kidnapped and so we kind of put two and two together," a Miami resident said, sharing the moment she realized a home in her neighborhood was at the center of a police investigation. "We noticed a whole bunch of police officers lining the street and carrying boxes out of the home just two doors down."
That investigation, sparked by a Turquoise Alert for a 13-year-old girl, led to the arrest of brothers Manuel and Patrick Sanchez. Court documents show Patrick Sanchez picked up the teen at a Circle K gas station in Apache Junction Friday after she reportedly refused to get into a family vehicle, and he offered her a ride.
He then reportedly drove her to an Airbnb in Mesa, then to Globe. At some point, the girl was taken to the Miami address by Manuel, who told police he got in through a window.
Patrick Sanchez Jr. and Manuel Sanchez
"People come and go from that house. I wouldn't say that anyone is there necessarily regularly, we just see kind of people be there and then they're gone, and they've always looked kind of sketchy, so we just stay away," the neighbor said.
The girl later told police she was told she couldn't leave and wanted to run away, but the men were always within feet of her. She also reportedly told police the brothers argued about what to tell police if they were discovered.
Police arrested the brothers Wednesday after a woman identified as Patrick's girlfriend called officers to the Miami home.
The girl has been returned to her family.
Dig deeper:
The neighbor shared with FOX 10 footage of what she believed to be the suspect vehicle being towed out of town.
"The car looked an awful lot like the one that was in the pictures and then drove by, and the tow truck was also from Apache Junction, so we were like, oh my goodness, this is definitely hitting way too close to home," the neighbor said.
Brothers arrested after Arizona girl's disappearance triggered Turquoise Alert
Two brothers have been arrested in connection to the case of a missing Arizona teenager that triggered a Turquoise Alert.
She added she is frightened for her own family after hearing what the brothers are accused of.
"I would like more information and notifications so I can keep my children and my family safe. I am a single mom, I have two young boys and then two older children and I just am terrified that it's so close, and I want to be able to keep them safe," she said.
Hefty Bonds:
Manuel Sanchez is a registered sex offender and was convicted of sexual conduct with a minor in the 1990s.
He's being held on a $1 million bond on charges related to kidnapping and tampering. Patrick Sanchez is facing the sex crimes charge in this case, and his bond is at $500,000. Both are set to appear in court next month.