Brothers arrested after Arizona girl's disappearance triggered Turquoise Alert

APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. - Two men have been arrested in connection to the case of a missing Arizona teenager that triggered a Turquoise Alert.

The backstory:

On June 19, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said a 13-year-old girl went missing after she was last seen outside a Circle K in Apache Junction. Following an argument with family members, the girl reportedly refused to get into her family’s car and walked away.

Investigators say surveillance video from the Circle K store showed the girl getting into another car. The driver of that car was described as a man between the ages of 50 and 60, with brown or black eyes, and black or grey hair and beard. He was wearing a grey tank top, black shorts, and black tennis shoes. The vehicle was seen heading westbound on Superstition Boulevard.

The teen was reported missing on the night of June 23. Shortly after, investigators say the case met the criteria for an Endangered Person alert, which was then upgraded to a Turquoise Alert. 

On Wednesday morning, June 24, the man seen on surveillance video driving the car was found in Globe. Hours later, the teen was found safe in Globe. She's been reunited with her family. 

Dig deeper:

On June 25, Apache Junction police said two brothers had been arrested in connection with the teen's disappearance. They were identified as 68-year-old Patrick Sanchez Jr. and 60-year-old Manuel Sanchez.

Both suspects are accused of custodial interference, unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping and tampering with physical evidence. Sanchez Jr. is also accused of sexual conduct with a minor, luring a minor for sexual exploitation and molestation of a child.

Sanchez Jr. is being held on a $500,000 cash bond, while his younger brother is waiting for his court appearance.

What they're saying:

Apache Junction PD talks about how community tips, thanks to the alert, helped find the girl, and fast.

"Obviously, a horrific situation where the 13-year-old victim was taken advantage of against her will," said Apache Junction Police Lt. Thomas Parker. "Once it gets to that level, that is an all-hands-on-deck situation because of the urgency of the matter. All of our staff were working, especially with the criminal investigations division. Once the Turquoise Alert goes out, we start getting those notifications from community members and, because of the community, we got many investigative tips right away that were valid and helped us with this investigation."

Map of the Circle K location

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