15-year-old Roll teen accused in rape case

A 15-year-old boy from Roll is being prosecuted as an adult for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in June, the Yuma County Sheriff's Office said.

James William Arnold Friend originally was booked into the county's Juvenile Justice Center but was transferred Monday to the county jail, where he remains held without bond on suspicion of sexual conduct with a minor and sexual assault.

Sheriff's spokesman Capt. Eben Bratcher said Friend was transferred to adult court under Arizona Revised Statutes 13-501.A.3., which states that forcible sexual assault is one of the crimes for which juveniles 15 years and older will be prosecuted as adults.

Friend is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in Roll on June 2, the sheriff's office said.

"All things considered, she is fine physically," Bratcher said. "I'm sure it will have long-term consequences otherwise."


Arrests of juveniles as rape suspects are "a pretty uncommon event here," Bratcher said.

Friend was arrested Thursday, YCSO said. He was seen in Wellton Justice Court on Tuesday, where he was formally charged with sexual assault of a minor and sexual conduct with a minor.

He appeared before Justice of the Peace Jorge Lazano, who was sitting in for Judge Cora Romaine.

Lazano ordered that Friend be held without bond and scheduled his next court date — a preliminary hearing — for Aug. 21 at 1:30 p.m.