title: “Apache Junction police seek answers from photo in kidnapping, assault case” url: “https://www.azfamily.com/2026/11/05/apache-junction-police-seek-answers-photo-kidnapping-assault-case/” author: “Veronica Stracqualursi”

APACHE JUNCTION, AZ (AZFamily) — Apache Junction police are asking for the public’s help in an investigation into a man accused of kidnapping and assaulting a young woman and who authorities believe may have other victims.

Authorities are trying to identify the person and location shown in a photo they discovered during their investigation into Pedro A. Espinoza Torres, 32. Police released the photo Thursday.

The picture appears to show a white woman between the ages of 14 and 25 with shoulder-length, dark blonde or light brown hair, wearing denim shorts and a gray T-shirt, police said.

Apache Junction police are asking the public for help identifying the person and the items in this photograph.(Apache Junction Police Dept.)

She’s pictured lying on her side on a large black shag-style rug, playing the board game “Sorry!” with an unknown person, with green Crocs-style slip-on shoes nearby, detectives said.

Police believe the photo was taken around 7:30 p.m. July 18 from outside a window looking into a room.

Torres was a rideshare driver living in Apache Junction when he was arrested Sept. 25 on charges of kidnapping and assaulting an 18-year-old woman.

Because the photograph was intentionally blurred to protect her privacy, police have asked the public not to identify or speculate about her on social media, but to send tips directly to them.

They’re also asking the public to focus on the room and the items in the image in hopes that someone recognizes the setting.

Other details that may help identify the room include:

• Light-colored flooring and dark furniture
• A rolling cart against the far wall
• A yellow Tidy Cats litter container and a clear plastic jug near the window

“Even a small detail could help investigators identify the location and the person pictured,” the Apache Junction Police Department said in a press release.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Apache Junction Police Department at 480-474-8585, reference Case #260924013, and leave a detailed message.

Around 1 a.m. on Sept. 24, Torres approached the victim, who was arriving at her home, pointed a gun at her and forced her to leave with him, police said.

He placed a hood over her head and forced the woman to walk about a block to a nearby home, where he tied her up with tape and threatened to kill her if she didn’t cooperate, according to Pinal County court documents.

The woman reported that Torres hit her in the head, put her in a chokehold and sexually assaulted her, police said.

Police say he held the woman for several hours and assaulted her multiple times before letting her go. She then sought medical care.

Torres was booked into the Pinal County Adult Detention Center on one count of kidnapping, four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of sexual abuse and one count of first-degree burglary.

Detectives have asked anyone who may have had a similar encounter with Torres or who has information about potentially related incidents to contact police.