Creeping Horror: Outrage after footage captures predator sneaking past officers to attack woman

In the video, Avery is seen crawling undetected to the victim before assaulting her.

PUBLISHED SEP 19, 2024

Court documents reveal that Avery had been “sneaking over like a spider”.

Tempe, Arizona: In footage that is bound to outrage and shock in equal measure, assault suspect Justin Avery, was caught on camera sneaking past a Maricopa County Sherrif's Office (MCSO) detention officer and assaulting a woman in the female section of the Intake Transfer and Release Facility around 4am on Tuesday.

Avery had been arrested on April 11 for reportedly assaulting five women near ASU’s Tempe campus.

In the video, Avery is seen crawling undetected to the victim before assaulting her. The situation escalated when a bystander screamed for him to stop, alerting the on-duty officer, who belatedly intervened. But how on earth did Avery manage to do this?

In a statement to The Independent, and MCSO spokesperson said, “We’re appalled by inmate Avery’s actions at our ITR facility. This was a unique incident and the first of its kind in four years, since the ITR facility was open. We acted immediately, adding mirrors for better monitoring in the blind spots that were identified. In addition, a review of our current procedures was completed to ensure best practices are being implemented. The safety of staff and inmates is our top priority, and we’re committed to ensuring this doesn’t happen again."

Former Valley Police Chief Stan Gephardt, who viewed the footage, told Arizona's Family: “This is clearly a failure on the part of the assigned deputies. Their job is to monitor and protect the inmates, and this incident shows a breakdown in that responsibility."

Court documents reveal that Avery had been “sneaking over like a spider” with the intention of assaulting the victim. The department has said that the sergeant responsible for overseeing the officers will face disciplinary review.

"This is a clear case of a first-line supervisory problem," an MCSO spokesperson said. "The sergeant in charge of the deputies should have been more vigilant in preventing this from happening."

Avery is now expected to face additional charges related to the attempted assault. Authorities are also reviewing the actions of the officers involved.