SPOKANE, Wash. — Content Warning: This story discusses sexual abuse against children and may be disturbing to some readers.
Spokane investigators are looking to speak with anyone who may have had contact with a 61-year-old man recently arrested for child molestation. Police believe the man has other victims who possibly haven't reported the abuse.
Patrick J. "Joseph" Cabeza was arrested for rape, child molestation and assault charges related to allegations from two young boys. According to documents, Cabeza sexually assaulted the boys and attempted to drug them by putting pills in their food. Now, police are looking to speak with anyone who may have had a similar experience with him.
Cabeza met the victims and their family several months before the alleged abuse. The family referred to him as "Joe" and said he "fulfilled a grandparent role for their family." According to the boys' mom, Cabeza bought groceries for the family, bought the kids anything they wanted and said he wanted to include the family in his will.
In Dec. 2022, after approximately two months of knowing Cabeza, the boys spent the night at his house for the first time. The boys told their mom they liked staying at his house and wanted to do it again. At the beginning of Christmas break, the two victims and their brother stayed at Cabeza's house alone. The mom said she was at the house for a while before she went home.
That night, the mom said she got a call from Cabeza and he was on speakerphone, which she found odd. She told police they talked for nearly an hour about chicken wings, which she, Cabeza and her children had eaten that night. Cabeza reportedly told her "over 40 times" that chicken wings had blood spots on them and that "old mozzarella doesn't melt".
Eventually, the mother found out her sons found pink pills in the chicken wings and white pills in the pizza crust.
On Dec. 21, 2022, the victim's mother called 911 after two of them told her Cabeza had allegedly raped them. In later interviews with the boys, they detailed several incidents in which Cabeza allegedly touched them inappropriately and sexually assaulted them while they were staying the night.
All three boys also told investigators about finding pills in the food Cabeza gave them.
"It's sickening and terrifying at the same time," said Kim Price, who lives across the street from Cabeza. "This is a tight-knit neighborhood. We say hi to each other. We know the children's names when they pass by, and then you have someone like this in the mix."
Price was even more disturbed to hear of her neighbor's arrest because her 22-year-old son moved in with him for several weeks last summer. Price said her family knew the 61-year-old as 'Joe Patrick' not Patrick Cabeza.
"Joe said he was a musician and that he was a music producer and wanted to take my son under his wing and get his music out there," Price said.
"I thought this was the perfect opportunity, I just got my music degree," said Kim's son, Chris. "There was pictures of him with big names—Justin Beiber, people like that," he said.
Chris was ready to move out of his parent's house and said Cabeza offered to let him stay across the street with him rent-free. However, Chris said he had to follow strange rules and wasn't allowed to have guests over.
"He would always get upset if I was away at night, every single time," Chris said. "Always waiting there out on the couch waiting when I got home and he would start talking to me about how I'm not doing things right in life because I'm out playing Magic with friends."
Chris said Cabeza never sexually assaulted him. The 61-year-old kicked him out weeks after he moved in and months before court documents say Cabeza groomed and molested the children who looked up to him.
"I knew something would happen," Chris said. "This guy is not right."
Cabeza was arrested at his home on Feb. 16 and taken to the Spokane County Jail. During a search of his home, detectives seized computers, an Apple iWatch, USB storage devices, cell phones and narcotics in pill form which were pink, according to court documents.
Cabeza is charged with three counts of rape of a child, five counts of first-degree child molestation, three counts of second-degree rape and three counts of second-degree attempted assault.
On Friday, he appeared in Spokane County Superior Court, where a judge set his bond at $100,000.
Investigators believe there may be other people who have had contact with Cabeza and may know more about his interactions with young boys. Anyone with information that could help the investigation is urged to call Detective V. Van Patten at 509-477-6909, reference #10169458.
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