Phoenix police arrest man involved in home burglary, threats, sexually assaulting woman

PHOENIX - Police arrested 20-year-old Byron Rivers late Thursday night after he allegedly sexually assaulted a Phoenix woman and robbed her home.

According to court documents, Phoenix police found Rivers walking out of the victim’s home while removing latex gloves from his hands.

The victim, who was inside the home, told police that she had been sexually assaulted by Rivers and that he had held her at knife point.

Rivers allegedly burned the side of the woman’s stomach with a lighter, bruised her arm, and left multiple knife wounds on her neck and chest and threatened to kill and burn her 5-year-old son.

The woman said that she heard a female voice during the incident but never saw a female.

When police interviewed Rivers, he admitted to breaking into her home through an unlocked bathroom window with his girlfriend. He also admitted to stealing her cell phone, jewelry and drinking vodka from the victim’s kitchen.

Rivers said he had a knife with him, but didn’t remember sexually assaulting the victim or holding the knife to her neck.

Police say that the 911 call they responded to came from a neighbor’s home after a female came to their door saying Rivers was holding a knife to the woman next door.

The woman then fled the scene, but left a knife and other evidence from the burglary at their doorstep.

Rivers was booked on five counts of sexual assault and one count each of kidnapping, aggravated assault, burglary and armed robbery.

ABC15 spoke to neighbors who tell us the suspects also attempted to break into their homes, but were unsuccessful.