MESA, AZ — Mesa police have made an arrest after two sexual assault incidents this month.
Police say Carl L. Creamer, 44, was arrested Sunday night on multiple counts of sexual assault, aggravated assault, kidnapping, sex abuse, and attempted sexual assault.
Officials say the first incident occurred when the suspect offered a woman a ride around 8 p.m. near Alma School Road and Main Street on Aug. 16. According to police documents, the man grabbed the victim while she was in his vehicle. She told the suspect she had a knife and he showed a tan-colored handgun and said, “this trumps a knife,” before sexually assaulting her.
Ten days later, on Aug. 26, another victim told police she was at a bus stop near Stapley Drive and Southern Avenue around 10 p.m. when a man offered her a ride. According to police documents, the suspect ordered the victim to remove her shorts and when she tried to leave the vehicle, he hit her in the head with a handgun.
Police say both victims gave the same description of the handgun, vehicle, and suspect involved in the incidents.
After asking for the public’s help, someone was able to identify the vehicle seen in surveillance footage as one belonging to Creamer.
Police say when officers located the vehicle, the decals had been removed and the tailgate was down, obscuring the license plate. Creamer was then seen leaving in a different vehicle. A traffic stop was conducted and Creamer was taken into custody without incident.
Officials gathered evidence including a handgun, a specific t-shirt described by one of the victims, and the removed truck decals.
Creamer is currently a member of the Arizona National Guard and up until five days before his first attack, he was working full time on a COVID-19 relief mission. On August 11, five days before his first attack, he was released from that mission.
