By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Court records reveal new details about a man from Litchfield Park accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a missing Utah girl, including that he had been investigated in multiple sex crime cases and was released from jail days before the incident.
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Investigators say Armando Sanchez-Lopez was repeatedly accused of drugging women, sexually assaulting them, strangling and holding girls and women against their will years before deputies say a missing Utah girl was found inside his trailer last month.
“Why was he allowed to be let out?” said Kayleigh Kozak, a survivor and advocate.
Kozak said she questions how someone repeatedly accused of violence against girls and women was able to remain out of custody.
“At what point are these agencies or these county attorney’s office held liable for these humans, these innocent people that are violated at the hands of someone who has such a heinous record?” Kozak said.
Rescue and allegations
Court documents say Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies found the missing Utah girl after she told a family friend on Snapchat she was being held against her will.
After she was rescued, the girl told investigators she was raped, choked, forced to take pills and cough syrup and prevented from leaving. According to records, Sanchez-Lopez recorded some of the assaults on his cell phone.
“It’s very clear that he has a very consistent MO. So he’s already shown us the type of crime that he is willing to commit and that he’s going to continue committing that crime,” Kozak said.
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Previous investigations
Court records outline several previous investigations.
One case accused him of sexually assaulting a vulnerable 20-year-old woman he met on Snapchat. Another accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting a girl. A 2024 case accused him of raping a former girlfriend after drugging her. Another accused him of strangling a girlfriend and stopping her from getting medical care afterward.
“Specifically for survivors or people that have been sexually assaulted, when they see and hear about cases like this, it really creates a distance in trusting the judicial system,” Kozak said.
Kozak said repeated delays between investigations and prosecutions can create gaps where offenders remain free.
“It’s just kind of tossing the baton between the county attorney’s office and the agencies and just adding more time. And while that’s happening, offenders like this one are out committing additional crimes,” Kozak said.
Sanchez-Lopez was expected to be in court to be formally charged, but that hearing is delayed until next week. Investigators say the case remains open and active as they continue reviewing evidence connected to several cases. According to jail records, Sanchez-Lopez remains in custody.
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