A Buckeye mother says she fought off a stranger who forced his way into her home, grabbed her by the neck and struck her 17-month-old child before she managed to escape outside and scream for help. Police arrested 20-year-old Adrian Ayala the next day in Goodyear, booking him on suspicion of sexual assault, kidnapping and other offenses.
According to KTAR, the woman said Ayala entered her home after her fiancé had gone out to buy groceries. He reportedly asked to use her bathroom, and when she tried to close the front door on him, he forced his way inside. She told police she fought him off and managed to get outside, screaming for help until a neighbor called police. Her two young children were home at the time, and Ayala allegedly struck her 17-month-old child during the struggle, per the same report.
A separate account reported by ABC24, citing KPNX reporting, identifies the mother as Bella Torres and describes the ordeal lasting less than 10 minutes. Torres said the stranger entered through her front door, asked if he could use her restroom, then grabbed her by the neck. She accused him of fighting her to the ground, kicking her daughter and demanding she take her clothes off, saying her first instinct was to protect her child before she escaped and called for help. A surveillance camera reportedly captured her screaming and the fight continuing on her driveway, and the man fled after her husband returned home.
Conflicting Accounts of What Happened — and Why
Surveillance footage shared with KPNX reportedly captured the man saying he was on drugs and that Torres’ boyfriend had sent him, according to the ABC24 account. Separately, per KTAR, surveillance footage captured Ayala saying he had met the victim’s fiancé on Reddit and had been told by the fiancé that the victim would “be into this.” Ayala’s father reportedly told police that his son said he had been paid by a YouTuber to “reenact” the attack, KTAR reported.
Ayala’s attorney called the incident a giant misunderstanding, according to the ABC24 report, claiming Torres’ husband had drawn Ayala to the home for a role-play scenario and that Ayala believed Torres consented because her boyfriend told him “they did this.” Torres, however, said Ayala was a complete stranger to her and her husband, per the KPNX account relayed by ABC24. Ayala requested an attorney after his arrest and did not answer questions from police, KTAR reported.
Judge Finds Probable Cause, Rejects Consent Claim
A judge found probable cause for several felony charges, including aggravated assault, and said a husband’s purported permission for the man to enter the home and act that way was not a defense, according to the ABC24 report. KTAR reported that Ayala was released Sunday on a surety bond of $25,000, while the ABC24 account describes the same $25,000 figure as a secured appearance bond.
Torres said she repeatedly tried to take a shower after the incident and said she plans to take steps to improve her family’s safety, including adding more security cameras, according to the ABC24 account of her comments to KPNX. Buckeye police arrested the suspect within 24 hours of the attack, identifying him as 20-year-old Adrian Ayala, per that same reporting.
