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By KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer 35 minutes ago
A fugitive accused of raping a 3-year-old girl on videotape was arrested
quietly during a traffic stop, telling the officer, "I'm tired of running,"
police said.
Chester "Chet" Arthur Stiles, 37, was pulled over late Monday in Henderson for
not having a license plate. He admitted his identity after police said his
license looked suspicious.
"He said, 'I'm Chester Stiles, the guy you're looking for,'" Henderson police
Officer Mike Dye said. "He said, 'I'm tired of running.'"
Las Vegas police Capt. Vincent Cannito said Stiles has been wanted since Oct. 5
on warrants issued for 21 felony charges in connection with the acts seen on
the videotape. The charges include lewdness with a minor, sexual assault and
attempted sexual assault.
The videotape, found in the rural Nevada town of Pahrump last month, had
prompted an equally intense search for the young girl who appeared in it.
Police with little to go on had encouraged news organizations to broadcast the
haunting image of the 3-year-old. When the now-7-year-old was found on Sept.
28, authorities shifted their resources to finding Stiles.
Dye said he stopped Stiles at about 7 p.m. on a busy thoroughfare just outside
Las Vegas driving a white sedan with no license plates.
Stiles, who had been portrayed by authorities as a dangerous, knife-wielding
survivalist, provided an expired California drivers license with a photo that
Dye said looked "suspicious."
"The picture on the license didn't quite match the gentleman in the vehicle,"
Dye said.
After further questioning, the officer said Stiles revealed his true name. Dye
said Stiles cooperated and didn't resist. Dye called for backup and another
officer arrived to handcuff Stiles.
Stiles was booked at the Clark County jail. He had not yet hired a lawyer or
been assigned a court date, police said.
Stiles was already wanted on state and federal warrants in a case alleging he
groped a 6-year-old girl in 2003. Police had received hundreds of tips on
Stiles, who they believed might be dangerous and possibly armed based on
earlier arrests.
Stiles' previous arrests included charges of assault, battery, resisting a
police officer, auto theft, leaving the scene of an accident and contempt of
court, authorities said.
He was convicted in 1999 in Las Vegas of carrying a concealed weapon, and in
2001 of conspiracy to commit grand larceny. Police were also looking into an
allegation that he had sexually assaulted a young girl in 2001.
Nye County District Attorney Bob Beckett had said he was told Stiles was a
"survivalist type" who always carried knife and had a Navy SEAL background.
The man who turned in the videotape, Darrin Tuck, 26, was arrested on a
probation violation charge, and was likely to face pornography charges, Beckett
said.