PORT ANGELES — A man on the Roswell, N.M., Police Department’s most wanted list was arrested near Port Angeles on Tuesday.
The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip that Ethan Anthony Wells, 22, was in Clallam County.
Wells had an active warrant for his arrest for armed robbery and possession of child pornography, according to the sheriff’s office.
Roswell police posted on Facebook on Monday that Wells is charged with sexual exploitation of children after his cellphone was found to contain “a large amount” of child pornography.
“We just put him on Roswell’s ‘most wanted’ list [Monday],” said Todd Wildermuth, the Roswell Police Department’s spokesman. “We’re pretty pleased he was able to be arrested so quickly.”
Well’s warrant was issued Jan. 9 after police had executed a search warrant on his phone as part of an investigation and found child pornography, Wildermuth said.
He wasn’t in custody when the exploitation charge was approved, Roswell police posted on Facebook.
He was arrested without incident on the 3200 block of O’Brien Road near Port Angeles on Tuesday morning.
Sgt. John Hollis of the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office said Wells is from Clallam County and has a history locally, including juvenile arrests.
Hollis said the warrant stems from a 2015 case.
Wells will go through a Clallam County Superior Court extradition hearing prior to being transported to Roswell.
“Once [extradition] is approved, we can get him back down there,” Hollis said.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com.
