U.S. Marshals located and arrested a 50-year-old alleged child sodomist Sunday in north Gainesville.
The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force jailed Thomas Finley on an outstanding warrant for the rape and sodomy of a 10-year-old girl in Alabama, according to a news release.
The warrant was issued March 12, but Finley, a former Gainesville resident, left Alabama. He traveled throughout Florida, staying briefly at different motels and using different modes of transportation between them.
Earlier this week, task force members started surveillance at locations in Gainesville where Finley used to spend time, according to the release. They learned that Finley could be coming back through Gainesville soon.
At 11:45 a.m. Sunday, task force members watched Finley get dropped off at a house near the 3000 block of North Main Street. Investigators from the Gainesville Police Department, Levy County Sheriff’s Office and Alachua County Sheriff’s Office met close by, according to the release.
With help from an Alachua County K-9 unit, task force members surrounded the house and ordered Finley to come out. He was arrested without incident and booked into the Alachua County Jail.
Contact Julia Glum at jglum@alligator.org.
