PHOENIX – Chandler Police detectives spent thousands of hours sifting through 2,000 leads, checked out hundreds of construction workers who matched the Chandler Rapist's description and spent many nights and mornings conducting surveillance stakeouts.
Their big break in the case occurred Friday.
In an unmarked police car, Chandler Police Detective Gary Minor spotted a Toyota Tercel that a witness in the Chandler rape case had detailed in a past interview.
Minor began following the car to the home of suspect Santa Batiz Aceves near Arizona Avenue and Ray Road.
"You gotta take a look at this guy," Minor told fellow Detective Chris Prez on the phone. Prez heads up a team that for months has been investigating the Chandler Rapist case.
Police eventually served a warrant and arrested Batiz Aceves, 39, Friday morning and discovered through DNA test results that he is a match for a serial rapist who has been stalking and raping young girls in Chandler for some 18 months. "This is probably one of the most complex and comprehensive cases I've ever had. This is the pinnacle," Prez said.
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Batiz Acevas faces more than two dozen charges, including multiple counts of aggravated assault, child molestation, sexual conduct with a minor, burglary, kidnapping, sexual abuse and criminal trespassing.
He remains locked up in a Downtown Phoenix jail.
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