Bodycam: Deputies arrest child sex assault suspect in Spanaway, WA
Man arrested in CA child sex assault case
Pierce County Sheriff's deputies arrested a 54-year-old man wanted in California for sex crimes against a child.
SPANAWAY, Wash. - Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 54-year-old man who is wanted in California for sex crimes against a child.
Deputies tell FOX 13 Seattle they had been working on the case for weeks before making an arrest at the suspect’s Spanaway, WA home on Saturday morning around 7 a.m.
The suspect is not officially charged, so FOX 13 Seattle is not naming the 54-year-old man.
The backstory:
According to probable cause documents we obtained, the suspect faces several charges of rape of a child that is ten years old or younger.
The charges are out of Placer County, California, which is near Sacramento.
Officials from Placer County tell FOX 13 Seattle that the victim just reported the crimes within the last few weeks, however, the actual incidents happened more than ten years ago.
Local perspective:
"We prioritized this arrest. We definitely didn’t want any of our community members or our citizens to fall victim to something as horrible as this crime was," said Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Carly Cappetto.
FOX 13 Seattle knocked on the suspect’s door and spoke to people who live there, but they refused to comment on the arrest.
Neighbors tell us they are shocked to hear the news of what happened.
"Why mess up a child’s life? They got a whole future ahead of them, and it just messes them up," said George Dechert, a neighbor who lives a couple of houses away from the suspect.
Investigators say they were working on the case for weeks before the arrest, and they attempted to take the suspect into custody previously but were unable to find him.
RAW: Bodycam of child sex assault suspect in Spanaway
Body camera footage captured Pierce County Sheriff's deputies arresting a child sex assault after he answers his door.
Body camera footage from Saturday’s arrest shows deputies taking the suspect into custody after he answers his door.
"He’s been a part of our community for a handful of years now, and I think, as a parent or as a law enforcement officer, that’s concerning that someone would have a crime as felonious as this, be living amongst us in our community," said Cappetto.
According to probable cause documents, the suspect faces life behind bars. No bail was set in his case.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, officials from Placer County, California, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
MORE HEADLINES FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
Seattle woman arrested for pit bull attacks: ‘Let him do his thing’
FEMA denies $34M in funds for WA bomb cyclone relief, gives no explanation
WSDOT shuts down 103-year-old bridge in Pierce County, WA
Man accused in Seattle hate crime flips off cameras, storms out of courtroom
Elephants react to San Diego earthquake, swarm around young
Red Robin launching Bottomless Burger Pass for National Burger Month
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.