Child Sex Offender Who Escaped Federal Custody Apprehended In Omak

A man wanted for escaping from a Spokane institution where he'd been ordered held by the State of Washington has been apprehended in Okanogan County.

The U.S. Marshals Service says Steven Ray St. Peter was arrested in Omak on May 28, after being wanted for escaping from federal custody and failing to register as a sex offender.

Officials say on April 22, St. Peter escaped from the Spokane Residential Re-entry Center, where he'd been ordered held by the Washington State Office of the Attorney General following a judgement and commitment order issued in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.

St. Peter was placed in federal custody following his arrest for a sex offense against a child under the age of 12 that occurred in 2014 on the Colville Indian Reservation.

The Marshals Service says St. Peter was apprehended after being located at a residence on Nichols Road, where he failed to comply with law enforcement orders to surrender and was eventually found hiding inside a closet at the home.

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Following his arrest, St. Peter was transported to the Spokane County Jail, where currently remains awaiting his possible transfer to a federal facility.

In a news release from the Marshals Service, U.S. Marshal Craig Thayer said of St. Peters' arrest, “Violent offenders who attempt to evade the justice system will be pursued and held accountable for their crimes. The U.S. Marshals Service places the highest priority on locating and bringing to justice individuals who harm children or who have harmed children in the past. Through the dedication of our deputies, task force officers, law enforcement partners, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, we remain committed to the rule of law and ensuring dangerous offenders are held accountable for their actions.”

Assisting the Marshals Service in St. Peters' apprehension was the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force, Colville Tribal Police Department, Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, and Omak Police Department.