An Elfrida Elementary School District board member who was the subject of a nationwide warrant earlier this summer is set to be arraigned Monday morning after a Cochise County grand jury recently indicted him for the alleged sexual abuse of a student’s mother back in 2017.
Timothy Andrew Frazier was initially charged by the Cochise County Attorney’s Office in mid-June before being named on an arrest warrant June 24. He voluntarily surrendered himself after learning of the warrant in early July and is out of custody on $50,000 bail.
Frazier, who turns 46 next week, was indicted by a grand jury July 23 on nine counts, including eight felonies. Two of the counts are Class 2 felonies which allege Frazier kidnapped the woman, once by restraining her with the intent to commit a sexual offense and the other by restraining her in the commission of a felony.
Class 2 felonies carry a presumptive five-year prison sentence for each count. The other counts include sexual abuse, aggravated assault, and indecent exposure.
Frazier came under investigation Nov. 9, 2017 when the student’s mother and her husband met deputies with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) to report she was assaulted earlier in the day during a meeting at Frazier’s residence to discuss school-related issues.
According to the woman, Frazier purportedly unzipped his pants and initiated non-consensual sexual conduct during which her shirt was torn. The incident lasted a few minutes before the woman got to her vehicle and left, according to a report by CCSO Deputy Rogelio Guizar.
During the investigation, Guizar swabbed the woman’s body for genetic evidence, took photographs, and collected the woman’s clothing. Frazier declined to be interviewed but allowed deputies to take a DNA sample.
In January 2018, Guizar noted in his report that physical evidence was forwarded to the Arizona Department of Public Safety crime lab. His next report update was not entered until June 2019, 17 months later.
That update shows the crime lab advised Guizar that Frazier’s DNA matched the bodily fluids taken from the woman’s body in November 2017. The deputy also noted the student’s mother was notified of the results and was told the matter would be referred to the Cochise County Attorney’s Office for consideration of charges.
However, that referral doesn’t appear to have occurred for another six months, at least according to Guizar’s next report update.
“On January 7, 2020, a felony packet was completed and submitted to be forwarded to the Cochise County Attorney’s Office. Nothing further,” the update reads.
On June 11, more than one-year after CCSO knew of the DNA results, prosecutor Yancey Garner filed a preliminary criminal complaint against Frazier and requested the warrant. A grand jury indictment was obtained as soon as Cochise County officials renewed grand jury proceedings following a COVID-19 hiatus.
Garner could ask for additional pretrial release conditions during Monday’s arraignment hearing. A trial date is expected to be announced during the hearing.
In the meantime, Frazier continues to be listed on the school district’s website as one of four governing board members. The board’s July 15 agenda did not list any discussion or action items regarding Frazier’s status, although the minutes have not yet been posted to the website.
Elfrida is located about 20 miles north of Douglas along U.S. Route 191.
