U.S. Marshals arrest Florida man on Citrus County warrant in NC; missing 5 year-old child rescued
"Our agency owes the arrest of this violent fugitive and the safety of this 5 year-old child to our regional task force partnership with the U.S. Marshals Service," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "Their efforts, combined with our local intelligence, led to the safe apprehension of this fugitive, and more importantly, the locating of this missing child."
On July 16, 2020, a warrant was issued for Arnold by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, in Inverness, Florida. Arnold was known to be a long-distance truck driver, and the CRFTF received information that Arnold would be traveling through western North Carolina, on July 25, 2020, in a tractor-trailer.
CRFTF members developed information that Arnold was traveling on Highway 74, in Rutherford County, NC. At approximately 4:00 pm, the truck that Arnold was suspected to be driving was stopped by the CRFTF and the N.C. Highway Patrol. Arnold was quickly apprehended and transported to the Rutherford County Correctional Institution in Rutherfordton, NC,where he was served with the Citrus County arrest warrant. He is being held without bond at the correctional institution, pending his extradition to Florida.
"This case was an excellent example of our partnership and how being on the United States Marshals Service task force increases law enforcement's ability to apprehend fugitives across the country and seek justice for those who cause harm to their citizens," said Marty West, Deputy Commander of the United States Marshals Service - Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Arnold's 5 year-old child, who had been reported missing from Citrus County, was also located in the truck. The child was safely turned over to the Rutherford County Department of Social Services.