Teen locked in storage unit for 5 days while man sexually assaulted her, Texas cops say
A man in Texas was arrested Wednesday after police say he kidnapped a 17-year-old girl, locked her in a storage unit for days and sexually assaulted her.
The teen reported the sexual assault to the Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct One Human Trafficking Unit on April 8, the department said in a news release.
Authorities said the man — identified as Joel Micah Arnold, 34 — kidnapped the girl on March 27 and took her to a storage facility in Cypress, a community 27 miles northwest of Houston.
He’s accused of locking her inside a storage unit for five days during which he reportedly showed her a gun, injected her with drugs and sexually assaulted her.
He eventually let the girl go, police said.
Arnold is charged with first-degree aggressive kidnapping, second-degree sexual assault and first-degree trafficking of a child, all felonies.
Police say they believe Arnold, whose jail record shows he lives in Cypress, may have previously assaulted other people.
Anyone with information on Arnold or a person who may be a victim of human trafficking is asked to call the Precinct One human trafficking hotline at (832) 927-1650.
Arnold is due back in court on Friday.
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