A non-licensed masseur who was accused of sexually abusing multiple clients in west Phoenix has been arrested and extradited to Arizona to face criminal charges.
For years, Alejandro Castellanos Tovar, 88, worked out of a Maryvale home as a 'sobador,' which is a Latin American term for a folk healer who provides massage and other services.
In 2019 and 2020, ABC15 interviewed multiple former clients who said Tovar sexually assaulted them during their appointments. At the time, the women said they reported their allegations to police, but they were frustrated because Tovar had not been arrested.
In 2020, records showed Tovar had sold his home, and relatives told ABC15 the sobador had moved out of the country to Africa.
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New court records show Tovar was extradited from Leesburg, VA, on Thursday night on a felony warrant. The circumstances surrounding his arrest remain unclear.
A 2019 Maricopa County indictment, unsealed upon his extradition, charges Tovar with 11 felony counts, including sexual assault and sexual abuse. The indictment indicates there are nine alleged victims, and it lists crimes dating from 2014 to 2019.
Tovar was scheduled to make his first Arizona court appearance on Friday afternoon. He's being held on a $500,000 bond as required by his arrest warrant.
