More than a year after a girl reported seeing a man expose himself in public, Maricopa police have made an arrest and believe there may be additional victims.
Joel Najera Perez, 62, of Maricopa was arrested June 2 and booked into the Pinal County Jail on one felony count of indecent exposure to a minor.
The investigation began in February 2025 when a girl reported seeing an adult man expose himself in a public area near the Villages at Rancho El Dorado clubhouse, according to the Maricopa Police Department.
Detectives developed a composite sketch and pursued numerous leads in an effort to identify the suspect. However, investigators were unable to develop viable leads, and the case eventually became inactive.
That changed this year when police received new information that led detectives to reopen the investigation.
According to police, investigators identified Perez as a suspect and interviewed him in June. During the interview, Perez admitted to exposing himself near the clubhouse during the timeframe of the reported incident.
Police said investigators believe there may be additional victims and are urging anyone who had contact with Perez or experienced a similar incident to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Maricopa Police Department at 520-568-3673.
The investigation remains ongoing.
10 Responses
Is Steven Judd and his ilk still at MPD?Another case allowed to go cold.
That’s a good question. We already requested the police report.
Who is Steven Judd & his ilk at MPD? What happened? What case?
Cut it off and feed it to the coyotes.
Stephen Judd (often known as Stephen F. Judd) is a former police commander and captain with the Maricopa Police Department (MPD). He was one of the founding members of the MPD in 2007 and was well-known in the community for serving as a public information officer and investigator.However, his police career ended following an independent investigation into how the department handled sensitive cases.Key Details and Recent DevelopmentsRetirement: Captain Judd retired from the MPD in June 2025.State Investigation: The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) opened an investigation that same month regarding how the department handled serious crimes.Botched Cases: An independent review found that 40 child sex crime and sexual assault cases (from 2012 to 2022) were closed or failed to be investigated properly. The report found that 29 of those specific cases were overseen by Captain Judd.Certification Relinquishment: Because of the investigation, Judd permanently gave up his Arizona peace officer certification in 2026 without admitting to any misconduct.If you have additional questions or want more details about the DPS investigation, you can review the full AZPOST April 2026 Meeting Minutes or read the AZFamily Investigative Report covering the case findings.
Search social media. I’ve seen at least two who said someone exposed themselves in Ross & TJ Maxx. If I see them again, I’ll send them.
Question
Was Joel Perez a registered sex offender living here in Maricopa
and was he living in the villages subdivision and lastly was he a repeat offender that wasn’t registered and allowed to live here unregistered
Dunno about him but you can look up your area for a list of offenders on icrimewatch dot net. Maricopa has 83 on that list currently.
I know someone who serves on the Board that deals with offenders in Phoenix.
He says the reason we have so many here in Copa is that the fines and fees for registering are much less in Pinal County than Maricopa County.
So when they get convicted, they move here because it is cheaper for them.
One would think the Pinal County Supervisors would look into plugging that loophole but apparently they are too busy dealing with Brad Miller, his MAGA bullshit and his criminal haircut…
Is Brad Miller the one that looks like Percy from The Green Mile? Why does he look so wet all the time?