1993 Arizona sex assault victim's family speaks out following arrests
Arizona kidnapping: past victim's family speaks
Manuel and Patrick Sanchez face felony charges after a teenager was held against her will for days. Now, a family is reacting to their arrests, decades after a sexual assault case. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.
PHOENIX - The family of a sexual assault survivor from the 1990s is speaking out, as the man convicted of attacking her decades ago is now accused of kidnapping another young girl, and that that victim was the focus of a statewide 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, and 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 June 24, the teen was found safe in Globe, and she has since been reunited with her family.
As for the suspects, they have been identified by police in Apache Junction as 68-year-old Patrick Sanchez Jr. and 60-year-old Manuel Sanchez. The two brothers are accused of kidnapping and keeping the girl against her will at multiple locations in the Globe and Miami area for several days.
Patrick Sanchez Jr. and Manuel Sanchez
Dig deeper:
For one family, news of the Sanchez brothers' arrest reopened old wounds.
"It just brought back a lot of old memories," said a member of the victim's family.
It should be noted that members of the family have requested that they not be identified in order to protect the victim's identity.
Members of the victim's family say their loved one was sexually assaulted by Manuel in 1993. At the time, she was just 13.
"She ran away, and she was gone for two weeks," said another member of the victim's family.
During that time, the family says they questioned Manuel Sanchez, who was in his late 20s at the time, before eventually cornering him outside a Globe gas station.
"He continued saying he didn’t have her, and I checked the vehicle and there she was on the floor with all kinds of -- I think it was a jacket and a blanket."
Manuel was convicted on two counts of sexual conduct with a minor in 1996. 30 years later, Patrick is facing the same charge along with others, including molestation of a child.
The family says hearing about the recent arrests left their minds spinning.
"I’m just glad that the little girl is safe, you know really, because who knows what else they've done."
What's next:
The brothers both face hefty bonds. Manuel's is set at $1 million and Patrick's is set at $500,000.
The family, however, says they want to see Manuel remain in custody.
"He has a history and I don't think he should be released. He's a registered sex offender, and he should stay in. His bond should be higher. No bond, matter of fact."
This family says they hope the latest alleged victim is able to seek treatment and heal. They say their loved one does not really talk about what happened to her decades ago, and the family works hard to protect her peace.
Both Sanchez brothers are due back in court next month.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from unnamed family members of a past victim, police statements, and court proceedings.