Dispatch from Tania vol 5

Arcadia police arrested a 44-year-old high-risk sex offender Thursday morning on a parole violation. Apparently, Paul Jeffrey Cricks, of Arcadia, didn't charge his electronic ankle bracelet – which has a global positioning system attached to it – and essentially disappeared from parole officers for a few days.

When the state agents realized Wednesday they weren't getting a signal from the bracelet, they went to Cricks' house in the 600 block of Baldwin Avenue. After breaking down the door, they found personal items, the bracelet's charger but no Cricks.

Further investigation found the offender had skipped out on work the last couple of days. He works at a tire shop in La Puente, according to police.

It wasn't until Thursday morning that Cricks was finally found. Arcadia officers, following up on the case, went back to Cricks' home. This time he was there, along with a small amount of narcotics, according to Arcadia police Lt. Larry Goodman.

So where was this offender – previously convicted of annoying or molesting children and indecent exposure – hiding out the last few days? No one seems to know.

All police have to say is the fact that Cricks was MIA was a major "public safety" concern. Really? But now he's in custody, so I guess the game of Where's Waldo? .... er.... Where's Cricks? is over.