An Arizona man was caught after attempting to fake his own death in order to avoid registering as a sex offender: "Not quite successful."
In 2018, Benjamin Hollins, 50, was convicted of reoffending as a sex offender in California, despite being convicted more than 20 years ago.
Earlier this week, a man in Arizona was arrested for allegedly faking his own death to avoid registering as a sex offender, according to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.
In Arizona, a man who was originally convicted of being a sex offender more than 20 years ago in California was arrested by the Chandler Police Department on Tuesday.
The police were searching for the sheriff's office, but no reason was given for their search or how they found him.
By 2018, Hollins was residing in Arizona City and had neglected to register as a sex offender outside of California, as stated in a Facebook post by the sheriff's office. Additionally, he was employed as a behavioral health counselor.
Hollins was kidnapped and attempted to molest a 16-year-old client during his job. He was sentenced to supervised probation after taking a plea deal, which required him to register as a sex offender every year.
In October 2023, the sheriff's office stated that he did not fulfill the requirement and tried to feign his own death.
An unidentified woman informed police that she observed Hollins commit suicide by jumping off the bridge at the Theodore Roosevelt Lake Dam, which lies between Gila and Maricopa counties.
"Sheriff Mark Lamb stated that a significant amount of resources were expended in searching for the missing person, but it was clear that he was still alive," said Sheriff Mark Lamb.
According to the sheriff's office, Hollins' sex offender registration lapsed after he passed away, and when he was discovered in Mesa, he was residing with a family that had young children.
The sheriff's office wrote that the family was "unaware of his background."
On Thursday, a short video about Hollins' arrest was posted to Facebook by Lamb.
In the video, Lamb stated, "Nice try, Benjamin. We've located you. You're still alive. We'll be holding you responsible."
Hollins is scheduled to be in court on Tuesday.
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