A CVS Pharmacy employee was sexually assaulted in a Phoenix storeroom by a customer, according to police.
Phoenix police report that just after midnight on December 1, they were called to the CVS near 35th and Glendale avenues.
A man, later identified as 25-year-old Matthew Steven Salazar, was at the CVS filling a prescription, when he asked for the location of the water fountain, police say.
A female employee showed him where the drinking fountain was located, then walked to the nearby 'employees-only room.' She then typed in her security code and entered the room.
Salazar allegedly followed the woman and cornered her in the storeroom, according to police.
Police say Salazar grabbed her and told her not to scream. The woman fought back, scratching Salazar on his face and biting his arm so hard she broke a tooth.
The CVS employee tried to run but was again cornered in another part of the room. This time, Salazar reportedly touched her in a sexual manner.
The woman escaped after Salazar allegedly pulled his pants down and exposed himself. Salazar ran out of the emergency exit, police say.
Police were able to use Salazar's prescription information to identify him.
He was located and arrested by police two days later.
Salazar, who was released from prison in January 2018, is being held on a $500,000 bond for burglary, kidnapping and sexual assault.
If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic or sexual violence, there are several local and national organizations offering resources. Anyone in need of immediate assistance should contact either the Maricopa County Shelter Line at 480-890-3039, the National 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence at 602-279-2900. A number of organizations are available 24 hours a day for anyone at risk of experiencing domestic or sexual violence. See a directory of domestic violence programs here.
