Delta Police arrested a man on an outstanding extradition warrant Monday (July 30) in Surrey who was convicted of two counts of sexual contact with a minor in Prima County, Arizona two and a half years ago.
Following a tip from the public, George Ross Wilcox was apprehended without incident at a shopping mall in the area of 152 St. and 104 Ave. He was transported to Delta Police headquarters in Ladner where he was held pending his first court appearance in the B.C. Supreme Court on July 31.
According to Delta Police, in 2009 Wilcox faced trial in Arizona for four counts of sexual contact with a minor under 15. Wilcox failed to appear for the trial and was convicted in his absence of two counts of sexual interference with a minor under 15. Since then, several police agencies have been searching for him.
In October 2009, the Delta Police Department became aware Wilcox, who is a Canadian citizen, might have returned to Canada and continued to investigate several leads, culminating in his arrest Monday.
Delta Police spokesman Const. Ciaran Feenan said it is not known where Wilcox had been living while on the run from police. Feenan added Delta Police had been advised Wilcox had ties to Alberta, B.C., and Delta specifically.
"We continued our investigation over those two and a half years," Feenan said, "so any time that we had information or tips that came in from the public regarding him, we followed every one up. And when we got a tip this week we followed it up and fortunately we were able to get him into custody."
“We are certainly pleased that Mr. Wilcox has been taken into custody due to the continuous efforts of our investigators," said Delta Police Chief Constable Jim Cessford "No matter how long an investigation takes, the Delta Police are committed to investigating every incident fully, and will continue to ensure public safety by following up on tips provided by concerned citizens.”
Delta Police investigators will continue working with the Department of Justice as the extradition process continues.