Fugitive Sex Offender From Denver Captured In Virginia

DENVER (CBS4)- U.S. Marshals captured a fugitive sex offender who was on the run for a week after escaping federal custody in Denver.

Marshals arrested Eric Hartwell at a motel on Military Highway in Norfolk, Va. just after 9 a.m. Friday.

Hartwell, 51, was wanted after he escaped from a halfway house in Denver on Feb. 14. A federal warrant for his arrest was issued on Sunday.

Hartwell is supposed to be under lifetime supervision for a series of crimes. That includes a 1991 conviction in Washington state for raping a 6-year-old.

Hartwell has cut off his ankle monitor in the past.

"We have been relentlessly pursuing Hartwell, day and night, as he fled across the country," said Chief Deputy Kenneth Deal. "When a dangerous predator is on the loose we don't stop. Public safety is always our main concern."

When Marshals learned that Hartwell arrived in Virginia they moved in to capture him. When he refused to open the door it was broken down and Hartwell was taken into custody.