Ex-Military 'Hero' Joan Salgueiro Arrested on Felony Child Molestation Charges in Avondale

TOLLESON, Ariz. (Arizona State News) — A former military service member from Tolleson who was once publicly celebrated for helping free teenagers from a wrecked car was arrested this week on felony charges of child molestation and sex abuse involving a girl who authorities say was as young as 14 when the alleged years-long abuse began.

Joan Salgueiro, 33, was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon at his apartment in the Parc Lofts complex after Avondale police executed a search warrant. He faces felony counts of child molestation, sexual abuse, and aggravated luring of a minor for sexual exploitation, as well as a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest.

According to the probable-cause statement filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, the investigation began in February after the victim, who was then 18, told her mother about a sexual relationship with Salgueiro that had started years earlier. Salgueiro had previously dated the girl's mother and lived in the same Avondale home with the family and his own children, authorities said. The girl described him as becoming a father figure while she was in seventh grade.

The first incident allegedly occurred when she was in eighth grade. Salgueiro entered her bedroom to say goodnight and kissed her on the mouth, the statement said. Within days, the contact escalated to more graphic acts in the garage of the family's Avondale home, according to her account to detectives.

The relationship continued for years. The two had sex at his apartment in Goodyear, inside his car, and even in the high school parking lot during her senior year. The girl told investigators that toward the end of the relationship, Salgueiro sometimes had sex with her even when she said she did not want to. She eventually ended contact after her phone broke, and she told him the situation was wrong and that he was only supposed to be a father figure to her. Her mother later discovered the messages and images, prompting the report to police.

Detectives reviewed screenshots of sexually explicit photos the girl said she had sent Salgueiro when she was 17, along with other messages.

In a recorded phone conversation arranged by police in April, the girl's mother confronted Salgueiro. He initially denied sexual contact, then acknowledged he had fallen in love with the girl and felt uncomfortable about loving someone underage. He said they had discussed a future together after she turned 18.

When officers served the warrant on Aug. 26, Salgueiro opened the door but refused repeated commands to exit with his hands up. He struck a police drone, knocking it to the ground, before officers used soft-hand techniques to take him into custody, the report stated.

In a later interview, he described his relationship with the girl as a friendship with a father-daughter dynamic, denied having sex with her, and eventually requested a lawyer.

Salgueiro was previously hailed as a "hero" by the public in 2017 after he stopped at the scene of a crash near 67th Avenue and Thomas Road and helped free several teenagers, including one who was seriously injured, from their vehicle, according to media reports at the time.

Bond was set at $200,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 2.

Information in this report was gathered from Maricopa County Superior Court records and prior FOX 10 Phoenix reporting.