A 17-year-old girl from New Mexico ran into a Chipotle in Phoenix begging for help after allegedly being tied up and raped by two men she met on a dating app. Police say the suspects drove six hours to pick her up before leaving her in the desert.
Suspects Arrested and Charged
Brodie Hester, 21, and Preston McKee, 22, were arrested by Phoenix Police on August 5. They face multiple felony charges of sexual conduct with a minor in the Maricopa County Superior Court system in Arizona.
According to investigators, the men traveled from Arizona to New Mexico to collect the teen after meeting her online. During the drive back to Phoenix, a New Mexico detective called, and they checked her ID, allegedly discovering she was only 17.
Alleged Assault and Escape
The pair then tried to put her on a bus home, but when that failed, they took her to a local house, Fox 10 Phoenix reported. The teen told police she was taken to a hotel, where she was bound and assaulted. She said the men restrained her, placed a ball gag in her mouth and a “kinky mask” over her face before sexually assaulting her.
Eventually, the men left the girl, and she made an escape. She also told investigators they later drove her to a remote desert location and left her there. She walked until she reached a Chipotle, where staff helped her and called emergency services.
Admissions and Court Proceedings
During questioning, both suspects reportedly admitted to the assaults, with one allegedly acknowledging they continued even after knowing the girl’s age. McKee also allegedly admitted to having sex with the teenager after learning her actual age, saying he “did not think it was a big deal” because they had already had sex before learning she was a minor.
Both men remain behind bars. Hester faces three counts of sexual conduct with a minor and is held on a $251,000 cash-only bond (about £196,000). McKee faces two counts and is held on a $200,000 bond (about £156,000). They are due to appear in Maricopa County court on Wednesday (August 12), where proceedings will focus on early case steps, including probable cause and potential arraignment.
