GILBERT, AZ (AZFamily) — A convicted sex offender accused of riding an e-bike near schools while wearing children’s accessories was arrested Thursday following a barricade situation in Gilbert.
The case began Tuesday, when Gilbert police started investigating reports of a suspicious man riding an e-bike near several schools, neighborhoods and other areas where kids gather after school.
Witnesses told officers he was wearing a Barbie backpack and had a Disney princess tote hanging from his handlebars, according to the Gilbert Police Department.
Investigators then identified the man as 35-year-old Gibran Alvarez, who was wanted on a 2024 California-only, non-extraditable probation violation warrant. That warrant stemmed from a 2023 felony conviction in Orange County for possession of child sexual abuse material.
Police did not disclose exactly where they located Alvarez, but when officers found him again Thursday, he barricaded himself inside his home.
To take him into custody, investigators worked with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office to get his warrant modified for nationwide extradition.
Gilbert’s Criminal Response Team then obtained a search warrant from Maricopa County Superior Court, and multiple agencies helped serve it at the home.
Alvarez was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office jail, where he’s being held without bond. Gilbert police say the investigation is ongoing.
Officers credited residents for speaking up about the suspicious activity.
“Their vigilance made a direct difference in this outcome and reflects the strong partnership between our community and the Gilbert Police Department in our mission to hold those who victimize our community accountable,” the department said in a written statement.
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