Sex offender in custody in Las Vegas after hiding in Mexico

A wanted sex offender is back into custody in Las Vegas after being on the run in Mexico for more than a decade, authorities announced.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Robert Sturgess was arrested in Rosarito, Mexico, on Dec.13 by Mexican Immigration Officials.

Authorities said Sturgess was convicted of sexual assault in Las Vegas on Nov. 12, 1991, after he engaged in illegal sexual contact with a 13-year-old victim.

Sturgess was “deemed a present and future danger to those in the community at the time of his sentencing,” the U.S. Marshals Service said in a news release. He received a sentence of five years to life in prison.

In May 2005, Sturgess was granted parole, and in July of 2007, he absconded from supervision, authorities said.

According to police, Mexican Immigration authorities located Sturgess and took him into custody in Rosarito, Mexico. Sturgess was then turned over to the U.S. Marshal’s Service at the Mexican border in San Diego on Dec. 13.

On Dec. 20, authorities said, officers from the Division of Parole and Probation extradited Sturgess back to Clark County from California.

“This arrest reflects our commitment to protecting victims and removing dangerous individuals through strong collaboration across the state,” U.S. Marshal Gary Schofield said.