PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A man is accused of sexually assaulting and strangling a woman with a dog leash before allegedly throwing her into a Phoenix canal, prosecutors say.
Jimmy Cluff, 48, appeared before a judge early Saturday morning on five charges of aggravated assault, two charges of kidnapping, and one charge of sexual assault.
According to state prosecutors, Cluff sexually assaulted and strangled the victim, using a dog leash to restrain and choke her. Prosecutors also allege he threw the woman into a canal and threw rocks at her.
Cluff is also accused of abusing a dog at some point, though it is unclear exactly when the alleged offenses happened.
State prosecutor Ashley Stetson called the allegations against Cluff “egregious” and argued he poses a danger to the victim.
Cluff was assigned a public defender with a bond set at $300,000 cash. He is due back in court for a status conference on Sept. 4.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2026 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.