Mesa, AZ – A sexual assault suspect, Carl L. Creamer, is in custody after an investigation by Mesa Police Department officers.
According to the Mesa Police Department, in the evening on August 29, 2021, officers arrested and booked the 44-year-old Creamer on multiple counts of sexual assault, aggravated assault, kidnapping, one count of attempted sexual assault and one count of sex abuse.
Mesa Police investigators began working this case on August 16, 2021, when the first victim came forward. The victim said she was being sexually assaulted at gunpoint. Ten days after the initial victim came forward a second, independent victim, came forward and said she was the victim of a violent attempted sexual assault where the suspect struck her on the head with a handgun before she was able to escape.
Investigators quickly linked the cases due to the similarities in the suspect description, violent tendencies of the suspect and the suspect vehicle described by both victims. During a canvass of the area where the first sexual assault occurred surveillance video was obtained depicting a gold colored 2000’s model Ford F-150 pickup truck with several distinctive decals attached to its rear window. The license plate number was not readable in the surveillance video.
Investigators conducted follow-up on the information obtained from video surveillance and victim testimony but were unable to positively identify a suspect. After exhausting all viable leads a crime bulletin was released to the public that received local media coverage. From the release of the bulletin tips were called into the Mesa Police Department. Through a tip, a 2002 Ford F-150 pickup truck, with decals in the rear window, matching the description given by victims was identified. This vehicle was registered to Carl Creamer.
Through a photo line-up Creamer was positively identified as the suspect by one of the victims. Creamer’s truck was later located by investigators in the 4800 block of S. 23rd Ave. in Phoenix. When located the decals had been removed from the rear window of the truck and the truck’s tailgate was in the down position obscuring the license plate. While conducting surveillance on the residence where the truck was located Creamer was seen leaving in a different vehicle. A traffic stop was conducted by detectives and Creamer was taken into custody without incident.
Creamer declined to speak with investigators and was booked into jail on the above-mentioned charges. During the service of search warrants on Creamer’s apartment in Mesa, the residence in Phoenix, his truck and the vehicle he was stopped in several items of evidence were collected to include a tan colored handgun matching the description of the weapon used in the crimes, a specific t-shirt described by victims worn by Creamer during the commission of the crimes, and the decals that were removed from the truck. Other evidence was video of the truck being at both locations where the crimes were committed and the fact both victims, who did not know each other, told matching stories during interviews with detectives.