On Wednesday, a prominent Valley sports fan and Peoria High School basketball coach known as “Mr. ORNG” was arrested on charges related to child sex crimes, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. Battillo, who has been attending Phoenix Suns games dressed in orange for over a decade, has gained popularity among fans and has even been featured in NBA commercials and social media posts.
Patrick Battillo was taken into custody on Wednesday. The charges against him are not yet clear, but the sheriff’s office says that it is investigating allegations of sexual misconduct involving minors. Battillo has not made any public statements about his arrest or the alleged crimes.
ABC15 has reached out for more details regarding Battillo’s arrest and the alleged sex crimes and is awaiting a response from the sheriff’s office. This is a developing story and updates will be provided on ABC15 and abc15.com as more information becomes available.
Battillo had become well-known in the Valley sports community for his passion for basketball and his love of orange attire, which he wore to Phoenix Suns games in honor of his favorite player, Steve Nash. He had also become a fixture at Peoria High School basketball games, where he coached several teams over the years.
