A man listed as a “Most Wanted” person by the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office was arrested Thursday morning at an apartment in Mountain Home for failing to register as a sex offender.
According to Sheriff John F. Montgomery, 45-year-old James Lee Lane, who has claimed to be homeless, was taken into custody without incident after being found hiding in a closet at 213 North Church Street. Deputies and Arkansas Community Corrections officers searched the residence after receiving information that Lane may have been staying at the address, which belongs to his estranged wife. She is currently on probation with a search waiver on file.
Lane had been ordered by the court to remain at a recovery center but was dismissed from the facility in September for disciplinary violations, according to Sheriff’s Deputy Tanner Anderson. Following his departure, Lane failed to register his status with the Sheriff’s Office as required by Arkansas law, prompting authorities to issue a bench warrant for his arrest.
After weeks of searching, officials located Lane early Thursday. He was arrested on charges of Failing to Register as a Sex Offender and Contempt of Court. Lane was booked into the Baxter County Detention Center, where he is being held without bond. He is scheduled to appear in Circuit Court on December 7.