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Police say phony contractor squatted in Kent house, wanted for child sex crimes in Idaho
A phony contractor hired to remodel a house in Kent ended up squatting there, police say, all while on the run from Idaho for child sex crimes.
KENT, Wash. - A phony contractor hired to remodel a house in Kent ended up squatting there, police say, all while on the run from Idaho for child sex crimes.
Police were called Dec. 8 to a house on Lake Meridian, near 138th Pl SE and SE 268th St. The homeowners told police they hired a contractor for a long-term remodeling project, and found out roughly 10 days prior the contractor had changed the locks and barred the real owners from getting back in.
According to authorities, the contractor and his girlfriend were squatting in the home and had moved in their personal things.
Several officers arrived and tried to contact the contractor and his girlfriend, but they refused to cooperate. Officers got the homeowners’ permission to enter the home, so they went in and detained the couple.
The contractor reportedly gave police a fake name, but when they scanned his fingerprint they identified him as a 45-year-old Idaho man, currently wanted on a $500,000 warrant for rape of a minor.
He was arrested and booked into King County Jail pending extradition back to Idaho. He also faces a new charge of first-degree criminal trespass. His 35-year-old girlfriend, a woman from Yelm, was booked into City of Kent Jail for first-degree criminal trespass.
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Searching the home, officers found a ‘ghost’ shotgun, as well as a work trailer with a stolen plate on it.
Kent Police urge homeowners to take the extra time to vet contractors before you hand over your keys.