PHOENIX — A man wanted for grabbing two pre-teen girls last September was located and arrested by police.
Phoenix police report that on Sept. 20, 2019, a man, later identified as Steven Ramirez Cortez, 35, allegedly grabbed two girls outside of a home in south Phoenix.
Police say he grabbed the girls, who are 9- and 10-year-old friends, asked them their names and where they went to school, and told them how pretty they are. He also reportedly touched one of the girl's thighs and squeezed her butt before taking photos of both girls.
The girls also accused Cortez of exposing and touching himself while making "weird noises."
Police say Cortez sped away in a silver Nissan Frontier. At a later time, another witness reportedly saw Cortez inside the same vehicle, exposing and touching himself. This witness was able to get a license plate number to the truck.
Cortez was located and arrested on Friday. He denied all the accusations.
He is being held on a $150,000 cash bond for public sexual indecency and multiple counts of aggravated assault on a minor.
