2 Fresno teens arrested in sex assaults

Two teenage boys suspected of using a fake gun to mug and sexually assault women outside apartment complexes here have been arrested, police said Friday.

The boys, 13 and 16, both from Fresno, flashed what looked like a real gun and demanded money or property from their victims, said Jeff Cardinale, a spokesman for the Fresno Police Department. Cardinale said he did not know how many times the boys acted together in 11 incidents since Feb. 14.

On at least two occasions, the boys touched victims in a sexual way, once telling a woman to pull down her pants, he said.

The boys, whose names were not released because of their age, were arrested Thursday night after the boyfriend of one of the victims chased down the suspects. The boys took off in a minivan that the 13-year-old had stolen earlier that day and were arrested outside an apartment complex, Cardinale said.

The 13-year-old was arrested on suspicion of robbery, attempted robbery, auto theft, hit and run, and sexual battery.

The 16-year-old was arrested on suspicion of robbery, attempted robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle and resisting arrest.

They were being held in Fresno County juvenile hall Friday, but the district attorney’s office could not confirm whether they had been formally charged.