CLEVELAND — U.S. Marshals say they have arrested a Cuyahoga County rape suspect who had been on the run for several years, but not before the man further attempted to flee.
Court records show 47-year-old William Scott, of Cleveland, was originally indicted in December of 2017 for allegedly sexually assaulting a juvenile. Authorities had been searching for him ever since, and finally found him Wednesday in the North Collinwood neighborhood.
According to officials, Scott tried to run away when Marshals spotted him, and in the process jumped out of a third-story window of an apartment complex on the 14100 block of Lakeshore Boulevard. Despite this, he was apparently unhurt and quickly taken into custody, and is currently being held at the Cuyahoga County Jail.
"Scott’s arrest today was the direct result of information provided by the public after viewing the fugitive of the week publication," the Marshals' Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force said in a statement. "So, as always we are very appreciative of your support of the fugitive of the week program."
So far, Scott's docket shows no additional charges, but he does have a prior guilty plea for domestic violence that saw him serve six months in prison. He could face more than a decade behind bars if convicted of rape.
