Apache Junction police released details from an image found on a suspect’s phone as detectives investigate whether other people may have been targeted.
APACHE JUNCTION, AZ — Police investigating the kidnapping and assault of an 18-year-old woman are searching for possible additional victims after detectives found an image on the suspect’s phone showing a young woman or girl inside an unidentified home, authorities said.
The Apache Junction Police Department is trying to identify the person and location shown in the image as its investigation of 32-year-old Pedro A. Espinoza Torres continues. Torres was arrested Sept. 25, one day after police say an 18-year-old woman was kidnapped at gunpoint near her home and held for hours. Authorities now say evidence collected during the investigation has raised concerns that other people may have had encounters with Torres.
Police said the newly released image was found during an examination of Torres’ phone. Investigators believe it was taken from outside a window at about 7:30 p.m. July 18. The person visible in the image appears to be a girl or young woman between about 14 and 25 years old with dark blonde or light brown hair. Police intentionally blurred the person to protect her privacy and have asked people not to speculate about her identity on social media.
Detectives are instead asking people to look closely at the room and objects visible in the image. Police said the setting includes a large black shag-style rug, light-colored flooring, dark furniture and a rolling cart near a wall. A “Sorry!” board game, green Crocs-style shoes, a yellow Tidy Cats litter container and a clear plastic jug can also be seen. Investigators hope someone may recognize those details and help determine where the image was recorded.
The investigation began after police said an 18-year-old woman was arriving home from work near 16th Avenue and San Marcos Drive at about 1 a.m. Sept. 24. Authorities allege that Torres approached her with a gun and forced her to leave with him. Police said she was taken to a nearby residence, restrained and assaulted while being held against her will for several hours. She was eventually released and later received medical treatment.
Investigators used several tools, including automated license plate reader technology, to identify Torres, a vehicle connected to him and a residence associated with the investigation, according to the Police Department. Officers arrested Torres on Sept. 25 and booked him into the Pinal County Adult Detention Center. The Pinal County Attorney’s Office later filed eight felony charges: one count of kidnapping, four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of sexual abuse and one count of first-degree burglary. The allegations have not been proven in court, and Torres is presumed innocent unless convicted.
Police have said Torres worked as a rideshare and food delivery driver, a detail investigators are considering as they try to determine whether he had contact with other potential victims. A vehicle associated with him was previously identified by police as a gold or yellow 2014 Jeep Wrangler. Detectives have asked anyone who remembers a similar encounter, recognizes the vehicle in connection with suspicious activity or has information about potentially related incidents to contact investigators.
The newly examined phone evidence has broadened that effort. Apache Junction police Cmdr. Cindy Ewer told FOX 10 Phoenix that investigators found material showing someone approaching a home, looking through a window and recording a person inside. Police have not publicly identified the person in that material or said that she was a crime victim. The department is treating her identity and the location as unresolved questions in the continuing investigation.
Police have also described evidence they say the 18-year-old woman left behind while she was being held. Ewer said the woman deliberately placed fingerprints in inconspicuous areas and later gave investigators a detailed description of the home and rooms where she had been kept. Authorities have credited information from the woman, along with surveillance and investigative technology, with helping detectives develop the case against Torres.
Investigators have not announced how many additional victims they believe may exist, and the discovery of the image does not by itself establish that the person shown was harmed. Police are continuing to seek information about the unidentified location and any previous encounters involving Torres. The department has asked that information related to the image or potentially connected incidents be submitted directly to investigators under Case No. 260924013.
Author note: Last updated November 6, 2026.