PHOENIX – An 18-year-old man was taken into custody after police say he threw a sex toy into the crowd during Tuesday night’s Phoenix Mercury game at PHX Arena.
Authorities identified the suspect as Kaden Lopez, who allegedly tossed the object during the matchup against the Connecticut Sun. According to court documents, the item — described as a green dildo — struck a man in the back before landing near his 9-year-old niece.
In recent days, similar incidents have been reported at WNBA games in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Chicago, with players condemning the behavior as both disrespectful and unsafe.
Police say Lopez retrieved the object from his sweater pocket and hurled it forward before attempting to leave. An arena volunteer who saw the incident stopped him and held him until officers arrived.
According to the arrest report, Lopez told police he had seen the stunt trending on social media and decided to imitate it, purchasing the item the day before the game. He said he did not intend to hit anyone or for the object to land near a child.
Arena and WNBA officials requested prosecution. Lopez was booked on charges of assault, disorderly conduct and public display of obscene material. The obscene material charge was later dropped for lack of probable cause, and Lopez was released on his own recognizance. He is due back in court Aug. 21.
