Court records describe prior sex crime claims before deputies found the missing girl in Litchfield Park.
LITCHFIELD PARK, AZ — A Utah teenager reported missing in April was found safe in Arizona, where deputies arrested a 30-year-old man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting her after she sent messages saying she was being held against her will.
The case has drawn new attention because court records and sheriff’s officials say the suspect, Armando Sanchez-Lopez, had been tied to several earlier sex crime investigations before the teen was found. He now faces allegations that include sexual assault, sexual conduct with a minor, kidnapping, aggravated assault, custodial interference and failure to comply with a court order. Investigators said the case remains open while detectives review evidence and prior reports.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies began looking into the case after a welfare check request on April 28 for a missing juvenile from Lehi, Utah. The girl’s mother had reported that her daughter left Utah four days earlier in an unknown vehicle. A family acquaintance later told investigators the teen may have gone to Arizona and may have been held against her will. The acquaintance said he gave the teen a ride at about 9:30 p.m. April 24 before she asked to be dropped off a short distance away. When he tried to follow her, an unidentified man confronted him with a rifle, investigators said.
In the days that followed, the acquaintance reported getting messages from the teen saying she needed help. Deputies said updated information on April 29 placed the girl back near a Litchfield Park residence before she left on foot with an adult male toward another nearby address. Detectives watched the area and soon contacted a male and female leaving a residence. The girl was identified as the missing teen from Utah. Deputies said she was safe and appeared relieved when she was found. Sanchez-Lopez was detained at the scene and later booked into the Maricopa County jail.
Court documents described by officials say the teen told investigators she was raped, choked, tied up, forced to take pills and cough syrup and stopped from leaving. Records also said Sanchez-Lopez recorded some of the assaults on his phone. Maricopa County Attorney’s Office attorney Elizabeth Lake said in court that the girl reported refusing a drink known as “lean” but then felt sleepy and lost consciousness. Investigators have not said how the teen first came into contact with Sanchez-Lopez beyond records that describe a connection through Snapchat. The full chain of travel from Utah to Arizona remains under investigation.
The allegations have raised questions about Sanchez-Lopez’s earlier contacts with law enforcement. The Sheriff’s Office said he had five prior sexual-related accusations involving several victims. Court records described by local officials include claims that he sexually assaulted a vulnerable 20-year-old woman he met on Snapchat, drugged and sexually assaulted a girl, raped a former girlfriend in a 2024 case after drugging her and strangled a girlfriend before blocking her from getting medical care. Those claims are separate from the Utah teen case, and investigators have not publicly detailed the status of each prior investigation.
Kayleigh Kozak, a survivor and advocate, said the pattern described in the records should prompt scrutiny of how cases moved between police and prosecutors. “Why was he allowed to be let out?” Kozak said. She said delays in investigations and prosecutions can leave gaps that put others at risk. In another statement, Kozak said cases like this can damage trust in the justice system for people who have survived sexual assault. Her comments came as officials confirmed that detectives were still reviewing evidence tied to Sanchez-Lopez and earlier reports.
At an initial court appearance, Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Jane McLaughlin addressed the seriousness of the allegations and the prior reports. She said there was probable cause to believe Sanchez-Lopez was a serial rapist. McLaughlin also warned him that new felony allegations could affect whether he is held without bond and said no contact with the new victims would remain in place. Sanchez-Lopez also is accused of violating an order of protection filed by his mother. A hearing at which he was expected to be formally charged was delayed until the week of May 18.
The arrest centered on a quiet West Valley area near Dysart Road and Maryland Avenue, where investigators said the teen had been taken before deputies tracked her down. The case moved across state lines from Lehi to Litchfield Park and relied in part on digital messages that reached a person who knew the teen. Officials have not released the teen’s name, and her age has been reported as 15 in some accounts and 17 in others based on different records and statements. Authorities have not publicly explained the discrepancy.
Sanchez-Lopez remained in custody as of Sunday while Maricopa County special victims detectives continued to review phone evidence, prior reports and the teen’s account. The next major step is the delayed charging hearing expected during the week of May 18.
Author note: Last updated May 17, 2026.