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On April 16, 2025, officers from Operations Division South responded to the report of an attempted abduction near West Piney View Place and South Springbrook Drive, located in the Midvale Park area.
At approximately 3:15 p.m., two teenaged girls were confronted by a male suspect as they walked through the neighborhood. It was reported that the suspect attempted to drag both girls away; however, they reportedly fought back, managed to break free, and ran from the area. The two girls notified an adult, who saw the suspect fleeing. The witness took a photo of the suspect before he fled and jumped a wall into a desert field. Patrol officers, supported by the Air Unit, immediately launched a search of the area. Investigators from TPD’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit (HEaT) and the Sex Offender Registration and Tracking Team (SORT) were notified of the incident and responded to the scene. Both victims were not injured and processed for DNA evidence as part of the investigation.
The following morning, on April 17, 2025, HEaT/SORT, TPD Community Outreach Resource and Education (CORE), and the U.S. Marshals coordinated efforts to canvass the local desert areas. They also visited local schools and daycare centers, reviewed video footage, and completed a ground search. During the search, a community member approached officers after recognizing the suspect from a social media post released by TPD. Officers were directed to a desert location where the suspect was known to frequent. Once in the area, officers located the male suspect. The suspect ran from officers but was quickly apprehended. The suspect, later identified as 30-year-old Jesse H. Howlett, was interviewed by detectives at the scene.
At the conclusion of interviews, Howlett was booked into the Pima County Jail and charged with the following:
- Two counts of Attempted Kidnapping
- Two counts of Aggravated Assault on a Minor
- One count of Sexual Abuse
The Tucson Police Department extends its sincere gratitude to the Tucson community and our law enforcement partners, thanks to their prompt actions and collaboration, a threat to public safety was quickly apprehended.
Though an arrest has been made, the investigation remains ongoing, and detectives are still seeking information related to this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact 88-CRIME, where you can remain anonymous.
Jesse H. Howlett
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