Video shows the moment police rescue a five-year-old girl from a small, secret closet in Arkansas home
- Jon Thompson, 40, was arrested Friday after police rescued a 5-year-old boy from a closet in his home
- Tontitown police bodycam footage showed the hidden compartment where the child was being held
- He has been charged with interference with custody, first-degree false imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a minor
Shocking video shows the moment police in Arkansas broke open a home to find a five-year-old girl hiding inside — and now the homeowner is facing a slew 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 hidden in a closet.
Police bodycam video showed the man wearing overalls and a hat, leading police to a closet in the home.
After searching the objects blocking the secret door, a small five-year-old child emerged and she was taken to the Department of Human Services.
‘She was very emotional when she came out and quite scared. He instructed her not to make any noise or reveal she was there,” Detective Keith Lindley said USA TODAY.
CCTV footage from Tontitown police showed them rescuing a five-year-old girl from a secret closet compartment
Jon Thompson, 40, has been charged with interference with custody, first-degree false imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a minor
The child was unharmed in the incident.
The 40-year-old now faces charges of interference with custody, first-degree false imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a minor and possession of body armor and drug paraphernalia, according to The Washington County Jail Intake.
Tontitown police assisted DHS officials with custody of the child when they attempted to contact Thompson, they reported KNWA.
The man claimed a judge granted him custody of the child, refused to open the front door and told police the five-year-old child was not in the home.
Eventually, Thompson admitted the child was in the home and took police to the closet where officers said they heard noises.
The suspect moved some boxes, revealing a shelf nailed into the wall. Behind the board was a small compartment with open insulation, as photos show.
Photos from Tontitown police show the small compartment with open insulation where the child was hidden
Bodycam footage showed Thompson moving boxes in the closet and a large shelf nailed to the wall blocking the child from entering the compartment
At the time of his arrest, Thompson was out on bail on unrelated charges out of Benton County.
“He was in custody on a methamphetamine charge from our neighboring city to the north,” Lindley said.
He was arrested Friday at the Washington County Jail and released Monday after posting $5,000 bail.
Thompson’s next court hearing is scheduled for December 4.