New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
A joint investigation by Fall River Police, the United States Marshals Service, a Regional Fugitive Task Force based in Orlando, Fla., and the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (VFAS) this morning culminated in the capture of fugitive child rapist JOHN MUNROE.
MUNROE, 75, was located hiding out at a residence in Deland, Fla. He was taken into custody and transported to the Volusia County Jail and charged as a fugitive from justice. A Massachusetts State Police VFAS trooper who had been involved in the Munroe investigation, by coincidence, was vacationing in Florida and drove across the state to assist with the arrest.
MUNROE had been sought by local, state and federal authorities since October 23, when he cut off a court-ordered GPS monitoring bracelet and fled. The previous month, he had been arrested by Fall River Police for the alleged sexual assault in their city of a child under age 10. On Dec. 14, the Massachusetts State Police put MUNROE on its Most Wanted list.
Over the next few months police conducted an exhaustive multi-state investigation. Investigators today developed intelligence that MUNROE was renting an apartment in a home at 1771 West Parkway in Deland, Fla. US Marshals and Volusia County officers from the Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force set up a surveillance on the residence this morning; at approximately 10:45 a.m. he was located and taken into custody.
MUNROE will be rendited to Massachusetts to face charges of rape of a child with force; indecent assault and battery on a child under 14; aggravated rape of a child; enticing a child under age 16; posing or exhibiting a child in a nude or lascivious manner; and possession of child pornography.
