A man on the run from child sex charges persuaded a pal to wear scrubs and pose as a nurse to trick his family into believing he had died.
Fugitive Christen Allen Wright, 38, drove to a hospital in Phoenix, a city in the US state of Arizona, and got a friend to phone his family to break the news of his death.
Then – when they came to collect his belongings – the friend wore hospital scrubs to make the ‘death’ seem convincing, say police.
In reality, Wright had fled across the state border to the town of Sellersburg, Indiana.
Arizona police wanted Wright to face charges of sexual misconduct with a minor, child molestation and sexual conduct with a minor.
Unconvinced of his death, officers found Wright’s accomplice who gave up his new address, reports local media.
Arizona police passed on the address and the Southern Indiana Regional SWAT Team arrested him, reports local media.
Now Wright is waiting to be extradited back to Maricopa County, Arizona.
Newsflash obtained a statement from Sheriff Scottie Maples of Clark County, in the US state of Indiana, on Monday, 27th March, saying: “Christen Allen Wright, 38 of Phoenix Arizona, has been arrested for a felony warrant out of Maricopa County Arizona.
“The warrant included charges of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, Molestation of a Child, and three counts of Sexual Conduct with a Minor, all Class 2 Felonies.”
The statement added: “The Clark County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division, in cooperation with El Mirage Arizona Police Department and Jeffersonville, Indiana Police Department, began a joint investigation into Mr Wright’s whereabouts after receiving information that he may be in the area.”
They went on: “Authorities in Arizona relayed information to our agency that Mr Wright had attempted to deceive investigators into believing he was deceased by driving to a local hospital in Arizona and having an acquaintance phone his family and tell them he was deceased, and they needed to collect his personal property from the hospital.
“This act of deception assisted Mr Wright in fleeing Arizona.”
The investigation is ongoing.
