Christen Wright: Child molester who faked death and tried to flee country arrested
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA: A child molester, who allegedly faked his death, was arrested after he tried to cross the country to evade authorities from taking him into custody over felony charges. Christen Allen Wright, 38, a Phoenix resident who is waiting for extradition, faces a felony warrant issued in Maricopa County, Arizona.
The 38-year-old has been charged with three counts of sexual conduct with a minor, molestation of a child, and sexual misconduct with a minor, all Class 2 felonies. Wright, who is currently in Indiana‘s Clark County Jail, allegedly tried to trick his family into believing he was deceased with the help of an acquaintance who posed as a nurse and helped to declare him dead, reported Law and Crime.
READ MORE
Wright and his acquaintance's 'act of deception'
In a statement explaining Wright's plans to flee the country, Clark County deputies wrote, "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 that they needed to collect his personal property from the hospital. The acquaintance posed as a nurse and dressed in scrubs to deceive family members when they collected his personal property. This act of deception assisted Mr Wright in fleeing Arizona."
How did cops locate Wright?
Jeffersonville police and Clark County deputies jointly worked with the officers in El Mirage, Arizona, for the investigation into the whereabouts of the alleged child molester. Investigators claimed they received information that Wright was in the area and said that he was found at a home in Sellensburg, Indiana.
Mark Grube, the Clark County Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief, said, "I've been doing this for 18 years. It's new for me, especially for this reason, and in some ways, it worked for him. He got out of the area he got out of Arizona, and he came here and it didn't work here. Once they figured it out, our detective division worked tirelessly to get him into custody." Authorities confirmed that Wright was arrested without incident by the Southern Indiana Regional Swat Team, according to WDRB.
