Phoenix police use sketch to identify suspect in sexual assault at canal

PHOENIX – Police investigators said Thursday they used the composite sketch of a man in custody to identify him as a suspect in a sexual assault on a Phoenix canal bank.

Charles Torbeck Jn Michely had been arrested for an assault after two good Samaritans detained him Tuesday morning, according to a Phoenix Police Department press release.

In that case, Michely allegedly tackled the victim, who was walking on Seventh Avenue near Campbell Avenue around 6 a.m., when the two people intervened and restrained him.

A woman reported the sexual assault around 7:30 a.m. Monday near Central Avenue and the Arizona Canal Trail.

A composite sketch was made as part of the investigation into the sexual assault. A crime analyst compared the sketch with recent booking photos and noted the similarities to Michely. The shirt Michely was wearing in the booking photo matched the description given by the victim, police said.

Investigators also learned Michely was wearing a GPS ankle monitor. The monitor’s data placed him at the scene of the canal attack, police said.

The sexual assault victim later identified Michely as her attacker through a photo lineup.

Michely had been booked for misdemeanor assault for tackling the person on Seventh Avenue. Police added attempted murder, sexual assault and kidnapping counts against him for the canal case.

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