SPRINGDALE -- A Springdale man was arrested Wednesday after police said he grabbed a schoolgirl, tried to drag her into an alley and touched her sexually through her clothing at 4 p.m. Tuesday near Tolleson Loop, according to a news release Thursday.
The incident may be connected to several cases involving young girls who were followed, inappropriately touched or were exposed to a man's genitalia, according to a preliminary arrest report.
At A Glance
Springdale police said Thursday they arrested a man who is possibly linked to following, inappropriately touching and exposing himself to young girls in Springdale during the past year. Police arrested Julian Rivera, 20, of 2578 Brookside St. Police are reviewing other cases that may be connected. Anyone with information about the case should call police at 751-4542.
Source: Staff Report
Julian Gamboa Rivera, 20, of 2578 Brookside St. was arrested Wednesday in connection with attempted kidnapping, two counts of sexual assault in the second degree, two counts of sexual indecency with a child and harassment, a misdemeanor.
He was at the Washington County Detention Center with a $100,000 bond Thursday.
A 13-year-old girl, who had been dropped off by a school bus, said she noticed a man following her, according to the news release. The man caught up with the girl, grabbed her and put her in a headlock, according to the release. The man then touched the child, according to the release.
The man grabbed the girl by her hair and tried to pull her into an alley between two duplexes or into a car, according to the arrest report. The girl was able to escape, reports said.
Police found similar cases during the investigation, according to the news release. This week's incident is the most serious, Derek Hudson, police spokesman, said Thursday.
Several girls told police Rivera drives a black vehicle, according to the preliminary report. The girls also mentioned the man talked about a dog, according to the report.
One of the girls gave police the partial number of a license plate that was a near match to the black Chevrolet Cobalt driven by Rivera, according to the report.
Rivera told police he was in the area where the incident occurred about 4 p.m. Tuesday, according to the news release. Police found items at Rivera's apartment consistent with what the most-recent victim described, according to the news release. The girl also identified Rivera to police in a photo lineup, according to the news release.
The youngest girl mentioned in the arrest report is 5, who said last year a man driving a black car exposed himself to her.
Other instances include two 11-year-old girls and a 12-year-old girl. The reports to police, made during the past year, involved children that lived on Water Street, Applegate Drive, Kasey and Onyx avenues, according to the news release. Other cases are possibly related, Hudson said.
Police are reviewing six cases that may be linked to Rivera, he said.
Rivera seemed to be escalating his actions before he was arrested, Hudson said.
The investigation is ongoing, police said.
NW News on 02/27/2015