WASHINGTON — A heavily tattooed convicted sex offender recently released from a Virginia prison and sought by U.S. Marshals after he failed to show up at a transitional center in Texas was arrested in downtown D.C. Wednesday afternoon.
D.C. police spotted Matthew Ezekiel Stager, 44, in the 500 block of 4th Street in Northwest D.C. — about a block from D.C. police headquarters — at about 2:40 p.m. and arrested him, a police spokesman said.
Stager was released last Thursday from the Federal Correctional Complex in Petersburg, Virginia, according to media reports. He was supposed to check into the transitional center that day but never did.
Marshals said earlier they believed Stager may have been in the Hampton Roads area or recently traveled through the region.
Authorities said Stager has known connections to multiple states and has a history of drug abuse and mental health concerns.
Marshals described Stager as a white or Hispanic man, about 145 pounds, 5 feet 8 inches tall with blond or strawberry hair. He has tattoos on his face, head and neck.
WTOP’s Jack Moore contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
