Turquoise Alert case update: 2 brothers arrested, 1 accused of sex crimes

Two brothers have been arrested, including one accused of sexual abuse, in connection with this week’s Turquoise Alert out of Apache Junction, authorities announced Tuesday.

Patrick Steve Sanchez Jr., 68, faces charges in Maricopa County. He was booked into jail on one count each of of sexual conduct with a minor, luring a minor for sexual exploitation, molestation of a child, custodial interference and unlawful imprisonment. His bond was set at $500,000, according to jail records.

His brother, 60-year-old Manuel Sanchez, faces charges in Gila County, where he was booked for custodial interference, unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping and tampering with physical evidence, according to the Apache Junction Police Department.

Authorities have not released details about each man’s role in the case.

The two brothers were arrested in connection with the case of a 13-year-old girl who was the subject of a Turquoise Alert issued Tuesday night.

Authorities said tips from the public helped police find her Wednesday.

Details about the Turquoise Alert case for Apache Junction girl

When the Turquoise Alert was issued, the teen had last been seen June 19 after leaving a Circle K near Meridian Drive and Superstition Boulevard.

She had refused to get into a family member’s car following an argument in the gas station parking lot, police said. She then walked through the parking lot before surveillance video showed her getting into what appeared to be an early 2000s white Chevrolet Impala four-door sedan.

The driver and the girl were found in the Miami-Globe area a day after police distributed photos of them and the vehicle.

Police said the Turquoise Alert wasn’t issued until a few days after the teen disappeared because investigators initially did not believe the case met the threshold for that type of bulletin.

Turquoise Alerts are issued when a missing person is under the age of 65, local law enforcement has exhausted all available resources, the person is believed to be in danger or in the company of someone potentially dangerous and the circumstances surrounding the disappearance are unexplained or suspicious.

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