An Arizona man was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of faking his own death to avoid registering as a sex offender, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.
Chandler Police Department officers discovered that Benjamin Hollins, 50, a convicted sex offender in California more than 20 years ago, was living in a house in Mesa, Arizona, under a false name. He was arrested on Tuesday.
The sheriff’s office did not say why police were searching for him or how they came across him.
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Benjamin Hollins, 50, was arrested Tuesday on charges of faking his own death to avoid registering as a sex offender, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. (Pinal County Sheriff’s Office)
Hollins lived in Arizona City until 2018, but had not registered as a sex offender outside of California, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office. He also worked as a behavioral health counselor.
During that job, Hollins kidnapped a 16-year-old customer and attempted to sexually abuse her. He was sentenced to supervised probation after taking a plea deal that required him to register annually as a sex offender.
He failed to comply with the requirements and attempted to fake his own death in October 2023, the sheriff’s office said.
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An unidentified woman told police she witnessed Hollins jump to his death from a bridge at Lake Theodore Roosevelt Dam, located between Gila and Maricopa counties.
“Many resources were wasted searching for the body and it is clear that no body was ever found,” Sheriff Mark Lamb said.
Hollins, 50, was living in a house in Mesa, Arizona, under a false identity. (Pinal County Sheriff’s Office)
The sheriff’s office said Hollins’ sex offender registration had expired at the time of his “death” and that he was living with a family with young children when he was found in Mesa.
The family “had no knowledge of his history,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
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Lamb explained Hollins’ arrest in a short video posted to Facebook on Thursday.
“You did your best, Benjamin. We found you. You’re not dead. We’re going to hold you accountable,” Lamb said in the video.
Hollins is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
