Overview
- The case centers on a 17-year-old New Mexico resident who told investigators she met Brodie Hester, 21, and Preston McKee, 22, on a dating app, was driven to Arizona and was later tied, gagged, sexually assaulted and left in the desert before walking to a Chipotle to get help.
- Police interviewed the men and arrested them after those interviews on Wednesday, Aug. 5, with both reportedly admitting to sexual contact and one admitting multiple encounters after learning the girl was underage.
- Hester is charged with three counts of sexual conduct with a minor and held on a $251,000 bond while McKee faces two counts and is held on a $200,000 bond; both are scheduled to appear in Maricopa County court on Aug. 12.
- Investigators collected DNA from both suspects and have relied on the victim’s forensic interview and police statements as central evidence, though formal forensic results and any pleas have not yet been made public.
- Arizona’s age of consent is 18, which frames the felony charges, and the cross-state nature of the pickup from New Mexico means local agencies are coordinating as investigators pursue evidence and next legal steps.