Police: Man suspected of rape impersonated a cop

A man who raped four Mesa prostitutes this year didn't need to use a gun, a knife or brute strength on his victims. He had a badge.

The man prowled Main Street in Mesa, the main drag where streetwalkers work, to pick up women whom he coerced into free sex by showing them a badge and threatening them with jail, according to court documents.

Robert N. Hagans, who is behind bars in connection with the string of incidents, including an attempted rape, wasn't an officer, however.

"He said he had family in California in law enforcement," said Sgt. Ed Wessing, Mesa police spokesman.

Police had detailed descriptions of the assailant and cooperation from the women, but it was the DNA found in a condom and on a cigarette butt discarded eight months apart that investigators used to back up their case.

A grand jury on Oct. 17 indicted Hagans, 44, of Queen Creek on 13 counts of sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, sexual abuse and impersonating a peace officer. Wessing said investigators did not find a star badge like the one described by his accusers. Court records show, however, that they seized as evidence handcuffs, flashlights commonly used by police, a stun gun, a .40 caliber handgun, two-way radios and a dream catcher - a handcrafted American Indian ornament. All were items the women saw in his truck, court records state.

Hagans' attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The first two women called police after they said they were forced to perform a sex act on the man.

"The victim asked the suspect if she was going to go to jail if she didn't do it," the report states. "The suspect said, 'Well pretty much, that's the jist (SIC), the jist of it.' "

State law says that sexual intercourse or oral sex "without consent" is considered sexual assault.

Wessing said officers and detectives who have regular contact with prostitutes began asking around and were able to find other women who had encounters with the man.

One woman who was alleged to have been assaulted July 10 got a ride home with the man July 28, when she was hitchhiking at Gilbert Road and Main Street.

Police had a composite drawing of the suspect and were on the lookout when an officer pulled Hagans over on a traffic stop.

He looked similar to the composite, had a tattoo like one the women described, drove a truck that was similar in description and had a dream catcher hanging from the rearview mirror like the women had described.

The officer looked in the truck and saw the police equipment the women had described.

Police were able to get the cigarette butt about a month later and found that the DNA on it matched DNA from a condom gathered from the second incident months earlier.

Key dates

Jan. 14: First of four rapes and one attempted rape

Feb. 27: Police find DNA evidence at scene of second incident

Aug. 5: Police pull over Robert N. Hagans, who closely matches description of person they are looking for

Sept. 26: Police obtain DNA from cigarette butt discarded by Hagans that matches DNA found earlier

Oct. 10: Hagans arrested