An Arizona man allegedly arranged for another man to sexually assault his fiancée at their home, but the mother of two fought back and drove off the attacker in the driveway.
Zarian Dyer, 23, was arrested Thursday after investigators accused him of recruiting 20-year-old Adrian Ayala to assault his fiancée, the Buckeye Police Department said.
Police said Ayala carried out the alleged attack after arriving at the woman’s home in Buckeye, about 30 miles west of Phoenix, at around 6 p.m. on Oct. 16. She was inside with her two children at the time.
According to court records obtained by the Merced Sun-Star, the woman told police she noticed a “random man” poking his head through her front door just minutes after her fiancée left to pick up groceries.
Her 2-month-old son was sleeping in a bedroom, while her 17-month-old daughter stood behind her as she confronted Ayala. He allegedly asked to use the bathroom.
Ayala allegedly kicked open the front door and forced his way into the house. Once inside, he “began to choke her by grabbing her by the neck,” the woman told investigators.
The confrontation moved into the bathroom, where Ayala allegedly locked himself inside with the woman. He “began trying to undo the button on the victim’s pants but was unable to” do so before allegedly groping her, the Merced Sun-Star reported, citing court records.
The woman eventually managed to force her alleged attacker out of the house and into the front yard.
Home security video obtained by AZ Family shows the woman battling Ayala in the driveway. She pushed him away, slapped him in the face and yelled at him as he leaned his weight against her.
As she resisted, Ayala allegedly told her, “Your boyfriend told me you’d be into this,” according to court records.
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The woman pursued Ayala down the street as he ran from the scene before police arrived.
Ayala was arrested the next day at his home in Goodyear, roughly 15 miles away. Investigators then allegedly discovered that the attack had been arranged by the victim’s fiancée, police said.
Ayala told investigators he had met Dyer online and agreed to go to the woman’s home to sexually assault her without her knowledge or consent.
Detectives seized Ayala’s electronic devices and found communications between him and Dyer that allegedly discussed the planned attack.
Dyer faces charges of aggravated assault, sexual abuse, attempted sexual assault, kidnapping and conspiracy.
Ayala was charged with kidnapping, sexual abuse, burglary and aggravated assault, according to court records obtained by the Merced Sun-Star.
He made his first court appearance on Oct. 18.
Ayala’s attorney told the judge that his client had been taken to the home by the woman’s boyfriend for a “role-play scenario.” The attorney argued that Ayala did not intend to commit a felony and believed the woman had consented, the Merced Sun-Star reported.
Court records show Ayala’s trial is scheduled to begin on April 1, 2027.
It was not immediately known when Dyer is scheduled to appear in court.
Investigators said it remains unclear what drove Dyer to allegedly orchestrate the attack on his fiancée.