Convicted sex offender tried to kidnap woman in Sky Harbor parking lot, police say

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — A Phoenix man previously convicted of sexual assault was arrested late last week after police say he tried to kidnap a woman at Sky Harbor airport. He’s been identified as 61-year-old Michael Andre Colville.

According to court documents, a woman flew into Phoenix from another city last Friday and was on her way to her SUV in an airport economy lot when two men got into an elevator with her. When she asked which floor they were going to so she could press the button, Colville said level four – the same level she was going.

Moments later as she was putting her luggage into the SUV, she says someone pushed her from behind, causing her to land face-first in the backseat. She told investigators that Colville then asked, “Do you want to die today?”

She replied that it wasn’t her day, then managed to turn around and struggle with Colville, knocking off his glasses. She says she then kicked him in the groin, but that he was still able to hold her down asking her several times, “Do you want to die today?”

The victim told investigators that she continued to struggle until Colville eventually got off of her and walked away. Police responded and reviewed nearby surveillance video, which showed the woman being followed by a man wearing glasses. While the attack happened off camera, video later showed Colville walking away without glasses. Officers recovered a pair of glasses at the scene.

Using photo detection software, police were able to identify Colville as a suspect. Per court documents, the woman was able to pick Colville out of a photo lineup.

Colville’s apartment is also located on Van Buren street near the 24th Street light rail platform where he was captured on video. Police say that when he was arrested, he was wearing the same hat, shorts and shoes seen in the surveillance video.

Online records through the Arizona Dept. of Corrections show Colville served nearly 14 years in prison after being convicted of sexual assault in 2005. He was released in April of 2019.