Suspect serial sex assault suspect in Arizona accused of crimes dating back decades

PHOENIX - We are learning more about the arrest of a suspected serial rapist whose alleged crimes in the Phoenix area date back more than a quarter of a century.

What we know:

Phoenix Police say DNA linked Abraham Ramirez to four kidnappings and sexual assaults in the Valley. They also say Ramirez's DNA matched a similar crime in Ventura County, California, which is ultimately how they cracked the case.

The backstory:

Ramirez, 54, is accused of sexually assaulting two 17-year-old girls, an 18-year-old woman and a 20-year-old woman in 1998, 1999 and 2013.

Before the alleged crimes happened in the Valley, Ramirez was arrested in California in 1994 for kidnapping and sexual assault. He was not convicted, however.

DNA was still collected in 1994, even though the technology was new at the time. DNA was also collected after the crimes in Phoenix.

In July 2025, the Phoenix Crime Lab was notified that a match was found related to the case out of California, and the suspect connected to all of the kidnappings and rapes was Ramirez.

What they're saying:

"In 2023, we received an investigative lead from that familial search," said Jennifer Palmer, a forensic scientist with the Phoenix Police Department. "The investigator got a name of a close relative of the suspect, and ever since then, we're looking at the family tree and trying to identify a possible suspect and submitting samples for comparison to the evidence in these cases."

"It's a long time. It's a long time for these survivors to have to wait for an answer, for them to know if they're feeling safe," said Phoenix Police Commander Steve Martos. "A lot of sleepless nights. A lot of work put in by our detectives."

What's next:

During his initial court appearance, a judge set a $750,000 cash bond for Ramirez.

Meanwhile, Phoenix Police said that there could be more victims out there, and they're urging other women to come forward.