GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A seventh fugitive featured on West Michigan's Most Wanted has been captured by authorities -- thanks to viewer tips. “I have received numerous tips based on your feature on FOX 17, so it’s been helping in numerous cases,” U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Supervisor Steve Hetherington says.
Authorities are hoping the tips keep rolling in, like the one used Monday to arrest Amanuel Measho in Washington D.C.
“We knew he had been traveling back and forth from New York to Washington D.C."
The tipster searched Measho’s name online and saw him as one of West Michigan’s Most Wanted’s featured fugitives, Hetherington says.
Measho has a lengthy rap sheet: wanted on drug charges in Kent County, hunted by the U.S. Marshals, assisted by Homeland Security, and also wanted in Washington D.C. for felony identity theft, which is where the tipster led the U.S. Marshals.
“In this case it was a fairly specific tip,” Hetherington says.
Measho is just one of five wanted fugitives captured in the past few days. Andrew Reynoldsand Brett Thompsonwere also caught thanks to viewer tips. Kedrick Scott was arrested Monday after getting caught up with some alleged shoplifters. “They had a call at the Best Buy for a possible shoplifting in progress," Hetherington says. "They were able to identify the vehicle leaving the parking lot. Two uniform officers made a traffic stop and found Mr. Scott as one of the passengers in the car."
Scott was arrested for his parole violation and remains in the Kent County Jail, which is also where Randy Kirkendoll ended up Sunday for his parole violation and failure to pay child support.
“It’s helped a great deal and saved us a lot of time with these tips coming in,” Hetherington says, tips from you, our viewers, helping to get these criminals off the streets. “They are making their own community safer. That’s what this does."
“When you get people who are committing crimes off the street, they call in and give us tips like this.”
The Kent County Prosecutor's Office says they do not have any requests in for extradition to Kent County on Measho's drug charge, so for now he will stay in Washington D.C. for felony identity theft.
