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PD: Man dressed as woman accused of sexually abusing man in Phoenix apartment elevator

Posted at 1:54 PM, Aug 11, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-11 16:54:39-04

A suspect is facing sexual abuse charges after inappropriately touching a man inside an apartment complex elevator.

Court records show that on July 6, the victim was groped by another man dressed as a woman while in the elevator at his complex near 4th and Van Buren streets.

Police report that the victim contacted them, saying he was inappropriately touched three times while in the elevator by a man wearing a wig and dressed as a woman.

When the description was circulated inside the Phoenix Police Department, another officer said the description matched a report of an ATM armed robbery in the same area a couple of weeks after the sexual abuse.

Another officer stated that he broke up a fight in the area and did a background check on the people involved. A person matching the description came back as 28-year-old Iman Maria Bagherzadeh.

Police took a photo of Bagherzadeh to the victim who made an identification. Police report that the picture also matched surveillance video they have from inside the apartment elevator.

Police say they found Bagherzadeh already in jail on a car theft charge.

Bagherzadeh is now also facing charges of sexual abuse and assault.