A Phoenix man accused of strangling a woman with a dog leash, throwing her into a canal, and sexually assaulting her appeared before a judge early Saturday morning facing kidnapping, sexual assault, and aggravated assault charges. Jimmy Cluff is being held on a $300,000 cash bond after a state prosecutor argued he poses a danger to the victim.
According to Arizona’s Family, Cluff faces two counts of kidnapping, five counts of aggravated assault, and one count of sexual assault. State prosecutors allege Cluff sexually assaulted and strangled the victim, using a dog leash to restrain and choke her before throwing her into a Phoenix canal. Prosecutors also allege Cluff threw rocks at the victim and that he abused a dog during the incident.
Maricopa County Deputy County Attorney Ashley Stetson, who is handling the case, described the allegations against Cluff as egregious, the outlet’s report notes. Stetson has prosecuted a string of high-profile violent felony cases in Maricopa County court, including dismemberment homicides and child abuse cases, according to 12News. Cluff has been assigned a public defender and is due back in Phoenix court for a status conference on September 4.
What Arizona Law Says About the Charges
The severity of the charges against Cluff stems directly from how Arizona statute defines these offenses. Under Arizona Revised Statutes ยง 13-1304, kidnapping is classified by default as a Class 2 felony carrying a sentence of 7 to 21 years in prison for a first offense when committed with intent to inflict physical injury or a sexual offense, according to Feldman Royle Ahl. Arizona law does not require moving a victim a specific distance for restraint to constitute kidnapping under that statute…