- Jon Thompson, 40, was arrested Friday after police rescued a 5-year-old child from a closet in his home.
- Tontitown police body camera footage showed hidden compartment where child was kept
- He was charged with obstructing custody, first-degree false imprisonment and endangering the safety of a minor.
Shocking video shows the moment Arkansas police searched a home to find a five-year-old girl hiding inside – and now the homeowner is facing a string of criminal charges.
Jon Thompson, 40, of Tontitown, Arkansas, was arrested Friday after police came to his home the day before and rescued a child hiding in a closet.
Police body camera video showed the man wearing overalls and a hat, leading police to a closet in the home.
After searching the items blocking the secret door, a five-year-old child appeared and she was taken to the Department of Social Services.
“She was very emotional when she came out and quite scared. He asked her not to make any noise or reveal that she was there,” Detective Keith Lindley said. USA TODAY.
Body camera footage from the Tontitown Police Department showed them rescuing a five-year-old girl from a secret closet compartment.
Jon Thompson, 40, was charged with obstructing custody, first-degree false imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a minor.
The child remained unharmed during the incident.
The 40-year-old now faces charges of obstructing police custody, first-degree false imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a minor and possession of bulletproof vests and drug paraphernalia, according to the Washington County Jail.
Tontitown police were helping DHS officials take custody of the child when they attempted to make contact with Thompson, reported KNOW.
The man claimed a judge awarded him custody of the child, refused to open the front door and told police the five-year-old was not at the residence.
Eventually, Thompson admitted the child was in the house and took police to the closet where officers said they heard noises coming from.
The suspect moved some boxes to reveal a board nailed to the wall. Behind the board was a small compartment with open insulation, as shown in the photos.
Tontitown police photos show the small, open-insulated compartment where the child was hidden
Bodycam footage showed Thompson moving boxes in the closet and a large board nailed to the wall blocking the child in the compartment.
At the time of his arrest, Thompson was free on bond on unrelated charges in Benton County.
“He was out on bond for a meth charge in our neighboring town to the north,” Lindley said.
He was booked into the Washington County Jail on Friday and was released Monday after posting $5,000 bond.
Thompson’s next court date is scheduled for Dec. 4.
