Tip leads detectives to wanted sex offender in Colorado Springs

One of the state’s most wanted sex offenders was caught early Wednesday morning in Colorado Springs.

A tip led El Paso county deputies to 23-year-old Phillip Garnier, who was staying at the Howard Johnson hotel on Nevada Avenue.

A day before his arrest , Garnier was named No. 18 on Colorado’s list of most wanted sex offenders.

“All of a sudden they came out with this man handcuffed. This morning, when I put the TV on I told my husband, oh my gosh that’s the guy they took,” said Diane Pratt, who witnessed the arrest.

Garnier was reported missing in April after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.

He had five days to register as a sex offender, but instead disappeared.

“It feels great. It shows the power of when agencies can work together,” said lead detective Jason Darbyshire, who’s been looking for Garnier for nearly four months.

“He was contacted by deputies at the room he was staying in. They could clearly see him through the window. He refused to exit the room,” Darbyshire said.

After four hours Garnier refused to leave the room, police eventually brought a K-9 unit to the scene early Wednesday morning.

“That’s basically what ended the situation. As soon as he was aware the K-9 was present, he came out and there was no further issue,” Darbyshire said.

There are 420 registered sex offenders in El Paso County. Deputies said about 95 percent of them comply with registration laww.

Garnier is now in custody on charges of not registering as a sex offender and violating his probation.