911 Call Leads to Arrest

A 911 regarding a situation involving a juvenile led to the arrest of a Muldrow man for not registering as a sex offender.

Records show that the girl’s sister called 911 on July 21. When the officer arrived on the scene, he came in contact with a man identified as Billy Joe Arnold, 45. Arnold reportedly told the deputy that the girls did not live at the residence, but a subsequent canvass of the neighborhood’s residents revealed that they actually did live there.

Another man at the home eventually told the deputy that the girls were his stepdaughters, and they came out and talked to the officer. 

The girl was then placed in emergency custody.

While at the home, the officer was advised that Arnold was a convicted sex offender. A Sheriff’s Department investigator informed the deputy that there were six children living at the home with no relation to Arnold. The investigator then asked the deputy to do a compliance check to confirm that the children were living there.

When the deputy and another officer entered the residence they saw several items of children’s clothing and two children’s backpacks. The search also revealed a marijuana-smoking device on a bedside table.

The sheriff’s investigator told officers that Arnold was not allowed around any children besides his own. Arnold told deputies that the children inside the home did not live with him and that he lived in a tent 10 feet from the residence.

Arnold was subsequently arrested for failing to register as a sex offender. He was booked in the Sequoyah County Jail. 

Deputies found that the home had no running water, no stove for cooking, no refrigerator for keeping food and a large number of people living in the single-room residence. The deputies contacted the Department of Human Services about the squalid conditions.

Arnold’s next court appearance is at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 21. He was released on $25,000 bond.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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