This sex offender ran from Benton County deputies. They need help finding him
Deputies are hunting for a wanted sex offender who reportedly dashed away from a car after a short chase in Benton City.
Around midnight, a deputy said he spotted Alvaro Meza, 34, driving recklessly near the intersection of Snow Lane and Highland Road. Before he could be stopped, the driver sped away and turned his lights off, said the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said.
The deputy found the car parked in front of a house on Snow Lane, and spotted Meza running away.
After an hour of searching with help from a Pasco police dog and West Richland officers, deputies walked away empty-handed.
Meza has a Department of Corrections warrant in connection with a 2012 conviction for third-degree child rape. He is classified as a Level 3 sex offender, meaning he is considered a high risk to commit another sex crime.
He was last registered in Pasco.
He is 5-foot-7, 220 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo of a cross on his right forearm and a 2-inch scar on his left forearm.
They are asking anyone with information on him to call the non-emergency dispatch number at 509-628-0333.