PHOENIX -- The cousin of the man accused of at least three sexual assaults said she had not made up her mind as to whether her cousin is the culprit.

"I don't know right now, honestly," said Michelle, who declined to give her last name. "I've known Robert [Payan] 26 years. I'm his youngest cousin.

"In all the years I've never seen anything."

People in the area of attacks said they were relieved that the man is behind bars. Before Payan's arrest, families kept their young daughters at home.

"My granddaughter ... goes to the park every night and comes home around eight," said Tina Hernandez. "That stopped."

One community member, Robert Hicks, said there might be one good thing that comes of the attacks.

"I think the community's going to come together a lot stronger than they have been," Hicks said.

Police said they connected Payan to three of the 10 cases attributed to a serial sex predator.

On June 11, he repeatedly molested a 12-year-old girl, choking her at one point, Phoenix police said.

Officers said Payan stalked another girl before attacking her from behind the next day.

Payan is being held at a local jail. He was denied bail at his arraignment Monday.