36-year-old Mesa resident arrested, linked to 2023 violent sexual assault

Rey Covarrubias Jr., Arizona Republic
·2 min read
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Mesa resident Brian Jacob Hernandez, 36, was arrested by the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office after his DNA was reportedly linked in connection to a violent sexual assault in August 2023, according to deputies in a Friday news release.

On August 17, Yavapai County deputies responded to reports of a sexual assault in the town of Mayer, south of Prescott Valley. They learned from a 47-year-old woman that a man in a white truck wearing construction worker clothes, who was believed to be Hernandez, offered her a ride and she accepted.

The woman told deputies the suspect threatened her with a firearm as he guided her to a remote area where the woman was raped before being let go, according to deputies.

The victim immediately contacted authorities and a DNA sample was obtained, which was later linked in a national database to Hernandez.

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On April 12, the YCSO and the Mesa Police Department's SWAT team executed a search warrant on Hernandez's Mesa residence, during which he was arrested and charged on suspicion of sexual assault, kidnapping and aggravated assault.

Police at the scene of Hernandez's home also found evidence related to the August 2023 assault, and deputies later took Hernandez to the Camp Verde Jail in Yavapai County.

Deputies are asking the public for any information about Hernandez. Tips can be given to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office at 928-771-3260.

Hernandez had been seen in northern Arizona, metro Phoenix , Scottsdale and Mesa. He often worked in highway construction, labeling himself a truck driver, according to deputies.

Hernandez was described as Hispanic, about 5 feet 7 inches tall and balding on top. He has brown eyes and a dark brown beard. He has a heavyset build and weighs around 215 pounds. He has been known to drive large construction-type trucks or his personal 2017 black Ford F-150 pickup, which is lifted and has large off-road tires, officials said in the news release.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mesa suspect with DNA link to 2023 assault arrested April 12