Man who locked teen in storage unit for five days and sexually assaulted her

HARRIS COUNTY, TX -- Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office Investigators have arrested a 34 year-old man in connection with the kidnapping and aggravated assault of a 17 year-old girl.

The teen made an outcry of sexual assault to the Precinct One Human Trafficking Unit on April 8, 2021.

During the subsequent investigation, investigators learned the defendant took the victim against her will to a storage facility located in the 19100 block of FM 529 in Cypress on Saturday, March 27, 2021. He locked her inside a storage unit and held against her will for five days. The defendant displayed a firearm, forcibly injected the victim with drugs and sexually assaulted her during the five days she was held captive. He eventually let her go.

On Wednesday, April 14, 2021, Precinct One partnered with the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigative Unit and arrested the defendant. Joel Micah Arnold is charged with the following offenses:

Aggravated Kidnapping - 1st degree Felony
Sexual Assault - 2nd degree Felony
Trafficking a Child - 1st degree Felony

Investigators have reason to believe there could be other victims who Arnold previously assaulted. If you have any information about this individual, or any other victims of human trafficking, please call the Precinct One human trafficking hotline at (832) 927-1650.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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