He had rolled down his window and he goes, excuse me miss, can I interest you in this?I don't know why I looked, but he had it out with me.
A routine stop at a car wash and gas station leaves a woman shaken after a stranger's question leads to an unsettling encounter.
It wasn't just that he like flashed me his It was in like a clear plastic tube.
Recently, it has been happening more.There has been something coming up in me.
That's the pump?Yeah, the pump.Okay.Don't reach in there with your bare hands.
The following is based on official police records released to date, and some of the footage has never been seen before until now.In August 2025, a woman calls 911 to report an incident that occurred just minutes prior at the Cobblestone Auto Spa in Tempe.Officers soon head over to her apartment to take her statement.
Can you tell me what happened?
So I had just went through the car wash and I was at the vacuum stall.I was just wiping my car down with a towel and he had already been parked for just a second.He was wiping his car down, I think, a minute ago.But then he had got back in his car and I remember thinking for a second that that was really fast because he had just barely parked and I wasn't finished.And so he was sitting in his car.As I was on my passenger side, he had rolled down his window and he goes, Excuse me, miss.
Can I interest you in this?I don't know why I looked, but he had it out, and it was in a tube.He had a pump or something.And I just gasped, and then I got back in my car.And I don't know why I didn't...Okay.
I'm sorry to make you think about it, but can you describe what it looks like?
I don't know how long I guess he had had it in there, but it was like definitely.
In an interview with a detective a few weeks later, the victim would share a more detailed account of what she claims to have witnessed on the day of her report.
It wasn't just that he like flashed me his, it was also like, it was in like a clear plastic tube, which I'm assuming is like, was it plastic?pump because it had been a tube coming from the end of it and then like a pump ball thing that he had in his hand like when they do your blood pressure okay so it was in that it wasn't just that but he had that I guess like in his car ready to go okay and was he doing anything else with his manipulating them or anything like that?No, I think he might've like, like shaken it a little bit, like from the base.Like when I looked in, like he moved it a little, but it didn't seem like he was like, I don't know, like off or anything.
Okay.Um, and he said that the, the ball that led to the pump was in his right hand.Do you know what his left hand was doing?
His left hand was at the base of his.
Okay.
So he's like holding it.
Okay.That makes sense.Police soon obtain security footage from the cobblestone car wash.In it, the suspect is seen pulling into the empty vacuum bay to the victim's right while she's wiping her car down.He exits and re -enters his vehicle multiple times before finally sitting in the driver's seat.The victim appears to move toward the suspect's window before backing away abruptly.
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Get started freeShe then seemingly leaves in a hurry, stopping for a few seconds to take a picture of the suspect's license plate.The suspect then exits his vehicle and appears to readjust his shorts before driving away.The victim describes the suspect as a white male of medium build, approximately 35 years old with shoulder -length ginger hair.While she isn't sure about other details,regarding his appearance, she is able to recall some key details about his car.
And what specifically do you remember about the vehicle?
It was a silver Honda Civic, and I remember seeing the stickers on it.He had a sticker on the back that says, Chief Stalker, and then he had one on the driver's side and two on the back that say, Fight Ready, which is a gym.
The detective is soon able to locate the car's registered owner and works on putting together a clearer picture of the suspect through a photo lineup.According to police reports, the victim didn't appear to recognize any of the men in the photos.The detective soon learns why after the vehicle's owner returns his call.
I understand that this might be a bit of a weird phone call, but I have a report that came across my desk and it involves your Honda Civic.
Oh, okay.That actually belonging to my older brother.What's going on though?I could probably relay a message.
I'm not allowed to give too much information about it over the phone, but basically they were, there was an incident involving the vehicle.We're just trying to find out who was driving it at the time.Uh, just so we can contact them, ask them questions.Nobody's in any trouble or anything like that.Uh, what's your brother's name?
It would be Joshua Curtis.
And do you have a good phone number for Joshua?
Um, see, this is where it gets kind of weird too.Um, I actually don't.We've actually been trying to locate him for years now as well.He's my half -brother.I had an abusive other side of the family.So he's kind of been struggling with trauma from that for years and years.
But yeah, he was living with us in Illinois and then he just kind of up and left one day and went to Arizona.Didn't even tell us.He just sent me a picture of Welcome to Arizona on the road.And you've been there.So I'm trying to trap a title to him that figured, you know, that's something that might happen eventually.And I don't want to be responsible.
So I could probably give him this number if it works and just let him know that you guys need a statement or something.
Yeah, you can, if you want.It shouldn't be a problem.Following his conversation with the original owner of the car, the detective has the victim come back in for a second photo lineup, this time including a photo of 34 -year -old Joshua Curtis.
Take as much time as you need, okay?NSCA, point at the one in number three.
Now number three and six look kind of similar.I think it's six.No, I think.His face wasn't that slim.
Okay.According to police reports, the victim identifies Joshua as the man from the car wash in the second photo lineup.In the meantime, Joshua contacts the detective after his brother informed him they were looking for him.
I'm not allowed to give a lot of information about overall phone because of the nature of the investigation.But there was something that happened here in Tempe and based off of some video canvassing we did, we believe that you may have witnessed what happened.If you'd be willing to let us know if you saw her or anything like that.
Um, I mean, yeah, I'm totally willing.I mean, ideally I wouldn't like to disrupt my schedule.
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Get started freeI don't remember witnessing anything.What was the time?What's the circumstances?I'll be happy to offer up any info.It would have been a few weeks ago.Um, like I said, I, I, I'm not, because of the nature of the investigation, I'm not allowed to give a lot over the phone, but once we talk in person, I can do that.
Is it like, is it legal to like decline?It's not beneficial to me in some sort of way, you know what I mean?Yeah, I mean, you're just considered a witness.I mean, it's not like you, we can't like force you to say anything or anything like that.
While initially reluctant, Joshua eventually agrees to meet with detectives.They make their way over to Joshua's apartment to finally chat with him.
Hello.How you doing?Sit down, make yourself comfortable.whatever you want.So where do you guys want to stand?
We can probably sit right there.Basically, the thing that happened, I want to try to keep it a little bit vague just to get the most neutral recollection of your memory and everything before you went to things.So this would have been on August 2nd, around like 8 in the morning, over by the area of...Was that a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday?I believe that was a Saturday, actually.Do you remember where you were at that time in the morning?
The only reason that I traveled through Tempe is to get to Chandler to clean fridges at a public storage container.and in any place I'm liable to stop in Tempe.But I don't have any business in Tempe.I don't know anyone in Tempe.I don't go to Tempe for any social reasons and I don't involve myself in any nefarious activities.
Joshua tells detectives that he only drives through the area to reach clients.While he has denied any knowledge of an incident in Tempe thus far, the detective's description of that morning is about to jog Joshua's memory.
We saw your car over at the cobblestone.Cobblestone Car Wash.You remember going to the Cobblestone Car Wash?
Yeah, so sometimes I'll stop in there for gas or whatever.
Okay.You remember talking to anybody at that gas station or anything like that?Okay.We saw somebody else that was involved with what happened come up to your car and talk to you, it looks like, while you were at the car wash.Pulled into a stall.You guys were next to, like, the vacuum areas.
So it looks like you probably got a couple car washes, and one of the involved people talks to you over your car for a little bit.
Doesn't ring a bell?
Doesn't ring a bell.Okay.So, and we were able to identify a person who talked to you.And what they told us was that, uh, they had seen you in the car, uh, with a pump on.
Gotcha.I got you.Now it's more clear.That would be the reason that sometimes I would pull in would just to sit there and look at people and boom.
Joshua, now far more forthcoming with information regarding his proclivities, recounts the incident and shares what he believes triggered this behavior.
Tell me about everything that happened from start to finish.
I pulled in to the parking spot and there was cars on both sides of me and I rolled down the window and I said, hey, would you have any interest in this?And she leaned in and then left.
And what did that person see when they, when she leaned in?
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Get started freeOkay.
And then after they left, what happened?
I left.I left.
Okay.You said that that's kind of a common thing for you to do, like specifically with the pump or just, just looking at people or?
Recently it has been happening more.There has been something coming up in me, but in no way, shape or form has anything else other than that happened.
Okay.Um, how long have these feelings been going on?A couple months.Is there anything that has changed?trigger did or something like that?Anything in your past?
There had been gas station bills that I had found and I started trying them and they'll drive you to certain behaviors and certain tendencies.And it's something that I'm analyzing and going over and myself, trust me, I knew that this was in some way, shape or form connected to that.
I figured you knew, that's why I kind of got things.So I apologize for a little bit of misdirection.but you don't have to apologize.I appreciate you being honest with us now.
So what now?What do we do?So a few questions to talk to you about, if you don't mind.
So your girlfriend.So she, I'm a little confused.Does she live here or not live here?She does live here.Okay.And you said that there was a significant age gap.
Yeah.
How old is she?24.Okay.
We wouldn't even be in a relationship if she didn't need help.
Okay.But she's not like 15 or anything like that.She's 20.She's 20.Okay.That's the reason I asked, because, you know...
The apartment's in her name.
Yeah, just, you know, as a SVU and firearms detective, those are things that I have to ask about, just to make sure, okay.
I'm trapped in a situation that I don't want to be in, and I'm ready to go back out into the world, and I'm kind of undeveloped in that area, and maybe the ways that I try to go about it, I'm in the beginning of a learning process.I think it is the most accurate way that I would describe it.What exactly were you doing that morning?Well...
Where is the pump now?In my backpack.In that black backpack right there?Okay.We'll grab it here in a little bit.Do you have any other pumps anywhere?
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Get started freeYes, sir.Okay.
Is it okay if Detective Contos goes and grabs it?
Do you have gloves with you?I do not.I can grab it for you.Give me just one minute, okay?
Do you have gloves?
Done?
Yep.
Okay.It's in the backpack over here.Right.Oh, that one?So not that backpack?Right.
Okay, it's in that one.Okay.Do you have any of those pills still?No, sir.I buy one a day pretty much.Okay.
Alright.Do you know like what brand they are or anything like that?What's that?Rhino.Rhino is what they're called?Okay.
And how many do you normally take?One.One.That's it?Okay.Cool.
The detectives drive Joshua and his pump to the Tempe City Jail.
That's the pump.Yeah.This is the pump.Okay.Don't reach in there with your bare hands.
Before taking him in, they ask him one last thing.
All right, Josh, so before I go in there real quick, again, I just want to really thank you for being cooperative, open and honest with everything.That says a lot about you, that you're actually able to own up to those things, okay?And that can be pretty tough.
Yeah, nothing about that.
With that in mind, you know, the girl was pretty shooken up about all of this.It sounds like you're, you know, taking responsibility, pretty apologetic guy.Is there anything that you would want to say to her or anything like that?
It won't happen to another.
Okay.Anything else you'd want to say to her?
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Get started freeIt wasn't right to invade her experience that way or anyone else's experience that way, and that's what I'm in the process of learning.And it won't happen to her.
Would you be willing to write that down so we can give that to her?Okay.
Joshua takes the detective up on his suggestion and pins a letter to the victim, opening with the statement, I write this message to you from the shame of a jail cell.He tells her, there have been others before you, expressing remorse and even gratitude for the victim's choice to take action.According to court documents, Joshua Curtis was charged with indecent exposure and public indecency.He pled guilty to both counts.Joshua was sentenced today suspended jail sentence and placed on probation until February, 2027.
He was also prohibited from initiating contact with the victim and barred from returning to the Cobblestone Car Wash.Watch our full videos as they were originally made with no randomly muted words or details cut.We've also dropped brand new EWU videos available only on EWU+.Available now on iOS, Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and Google TV.Download EWU +, and see what you've been missing.
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