Brandon Gray. (PCSO photo)

 

A Maricopa man was arrested Feb. 1 on charges of kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly holding a woman against her will and threatening her with a knife at her Mesa apartment Jan. 22.

Brandon Gray, 28, is accused of forcing his ex-girlfriend to restrain herself with zip-ties while holding her at knifepoint, according to a Mesa Police report.

The victim returned home from work to find Gray waiting at her apartment, where he allegedly threatened her while confronting her about text messages and pictures he had found on her phone, the report says.

Gray was responsible for babysitting their kids while the victim was at work, but instead Gray allegedly took the children to a relative’s house in Maricopa and then returned to the Mesa apartment and confronted the victim. 

The report says Gray pulled a knife from his hoodie and told the victim to get on her knees and instructed her to put zip-ties around her wrists. The victim pretended to struggle with the zip-ties for long enough that Gray became frustrated and told her to “forget it.”

After spending what she said was more than an hour on her knees, the victim asked to use the restroom. While in the bathroom the victim claims she could see Gray through the open door putting on blue latex gloves and then garden gloves over them.

Gray then allegedly entered the bathroom with the gloves on his hands and attempted to reconcile with the victim, the report says. Fearing for her life, the victim agreed to reconcile, she later told police.     

Using the victim’s car, Gray then drove the victim toward Maricopa to retrieve their children, according to the report. The victim was able to convince Gray she needed to stop at a relative’s house on the way. While there, the victim left a note indicating the danger she was in. That relative then notified another relative, who lives in Maricopa.

While proceeding to Maricopa, the victim, still fearing for her life, also allegedly sent a text message to the second relative saying, “I want you to know I love you so much.” After realizing they were heading toward Maricopa, the victim again was able to convince Gray she need to stop at the second relative’s home to retrieve items for work.

Believing they had reconciled, Gray dropped the victim off at her relative’s Maricopa home while he went to one of his relative’s homes to pick up the children.

When Gray returned with the children, the victim convinced him to allow the children to enter the home to visit with the relative. While he waited in the car, they called 911. 

The Mesa Police report states Maricopa Police responded and initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle Gray was in. Gray allegedly admitted to some of details as the victim described, but claims he did not threaten the victim nor force her to her knees and order her to restrain herself with zip-ties.

A “consent” search of the vehicle was conducted, and a Walmart bag was found containing a buck knife, wrapper to a roll of duct tape, blue latex gloves and black zip ties. Gray alegedly admitted the items were his and but that he intended to use the items to “hang clothing in his car and to make repairs on his car.”

Gray allegedly further admitted to having the knife in his pocket while confronting the victim about the text messages and photos.

However, the Mesa Police report said, Gray was not arrested that night.

The victim and Mesa police returned to her apartment the next morning. Officers located a pair of blue latex gloves together with garden gloves, turned inside out.

The victim was able to break her lease and move out of the apartment. While moving out, the victim found a roll of black duct tape matching the brand of wrapper found in the Walmart bag, a bottle of kerosene and cedar wood chips often used to mask odors.

Based on the additional evidence found at the victim’s apartment, Mesa Police concluded they had probable cause to charge Gray with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and kidnapping.

Maricopa Police arrested Gray Feb. 2 at a home in Maricopa.

He was booked in Pinal County Adult Detention Center and later transferred to a Maricopa County Jail.

If convicted, Gray faces a presumptive sentence of 16 years in prison.