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PD: Man seen with missing teacher assaulted ASU student on Sunday night

Posted at 7:00 PM, Oct 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-13 01:25:12-04

New information has been released about the man last seen with a missing Valley teacher. 

ABC15 has confirmed Charlie Malzahn was reportedly involved in an assault of a female student at Arizona State University on Sunday.

The incident happened at Hassayampa Academic Village just before 10:00 p.m. 

According to officials, Malzahn is accused of physically assaulting the student in her room. An investigation by Arizona State University led them to believe Malzahn was involved in the assault.  Criminal charges have now been filed. 

Malzahn, 27, has spent half of his adult life behind bars. His most recent stint in the Coconino County jail was from August until last Friday when he was bonded out by Cathryn Gorospe.

We learned on Wednesday why he was in the jail.

Police documents show he was in a minivan with his sister and her kids back in August when he:

"Became anxious in the vehicle and thought that (his sister) was going to have him "sniped" by a car next to them," the police paperwork stated.

Police documents go on to read Charles went to the back seat and pulled out a handgun.

The documents read his sister stopped along Interstate 10 in Tempe and removed her kids from the van. Malzahn allegedly drove off. Police said he was arrested later with a loaded gun in Williams.

Malzahn is the focus of the investigation into missing Arrowhead Elementary teacher Cathryn Gorospe, though police have not labeled him a suspect. Gorospe posted his bond on Friday. 

 He was arrested on Monday driving her SUV. She is nowhere to be found. Police said Tuesday that Malzahn has not cooperated in the investigation into her disappearance. 

Police said Malzahn had a baton, which may have been used in a carjacking in Tempe Sunday night. That car was later recovered.

Court documents from Coconino County show Malzahn has been arrested in the past for a DUI crash and trashing a hotel room. 

Department of Corrections records show he served a one-year sentence in 2008 for theft and a four-year sentence for a 2012 aggravated assault and resisting arrest case in which he just finished serving in June, two months before his arrest for stealing his sister's van. When Phoenix Police arrested him Monday he allegedly fought with officers, cutting one of them on his neck.

Police stated in the documents Malzahn was well-known by law enforcement in the Williams area.

In the meantime, Gorospe's family is in Arizona from California. They are planning an extensive search for her. They ask anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to call Flagstaff Police.