CHANDLER — Police in Chandler have arrested a man following a months-long string of reported child sexual abuse and indecent exposure incidents in Chandler and Mesa.
Between May and November, police received eight calls in Chandler and a call in Mesa regarding a man either inappropriately groping girls or indecently exposing himself.
Every Chandler incident involved girls ages 11 to 17, while the Mesa incident involved an adult woman, according to court paperwork.
Most of the incidents occurred near elementary and high schools, with some incidents occurring in the Arizona Avenue and Frye Road area, according to court paperwork.
Victims described the perpetrator as a heavier set hispanic man with dark hair, a beard, and tattoos on his arm, court documents stated. They also described the dark red or black sedan that the man was seen driving.
Detectives were able to utilize this information, along with surveillance video from multiple scenes, to then canvas the area and locate a vehicle that matched the description at an apartment complex near some of the incidents, according to court documents.
The vehicle's owner, identified by police as 22-year-old Andrew Nicholas Arenas, was contacted by police, where tattoos were observed on his arm.
Arenas was previously considered an "investigative lead" in the Mesa sexual assault, court documents stated.
The victim in the Mesa incident was able to positively identify Arenas in person and through a photo lineup.
When asked by authorities, Arenas denied being part of the Mesa incident.
Items referenced by multiple victims were obtained from Arenas' residence using a search warrant, court documents stated.
Police arrested Arenas, who is being charged with three counts of sexual abuse, three counts of assault, and three counts of public sexual indecency.
