Flagstaff, AZ: On April 29, 2023, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office responded to
the Cinder Hills OHV area north of Flagstaff to investigate a report of a sexual assault
of a minor.
Sheriff’s deputies, along with officers from multiple other agencies, conducted a
search of the area but were unable to locate the suspect. The responding deputies’
investigation of the initial incident revealed the suspect to be Jesus Elias Cruz-Lopez, a
26-year-old Flagstaff man. Over the past several months CCSO Detectives have been
following up with potential leads and continuing the investigation into this matter.
Recently, the United States Marshals Service began investigating the whereabouts of
Cruz-Lopez and was able to develop information that he was in the Phoenix metro
area. On July 27, 2023, US Marshals took Cruz–Lopez into custody in an east Phoenix
metro community. Cruz–Lopez was booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s
Detention Facility and is awaiting extradition back to Coconino County.
“Thanks to the unceasing dedication of the men and women of the Arizona WANTED
Violent Offender Task Force, Jesus Cruz-Lopez is behind bars today,” stated Acting
Untied States Marshal Van Bayless. “The United States Marshals Service works daily
with our partnering law enforcement agencies to ensure that no fugitive can escape
justice, no matter where they run.”
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the United States Marshals
Service for their continued efforts and support on this incident and their assistance in
bringing it to a peaceful resolution.
