Engelbrecht arrested in Michigan

SANDPOINT — A Priest River man accused of molesting a 6-year-old girl was apprehended Wednesday on an Idaho arrest warrant in southeastern Michigan.

Priest River Police Chief Ray Roberts said Ted Normal Engelbrecht attracted the attention of Northville Township authorities, who ran his name and discovered the arrest warrant.

Roberts and Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall said it was unknown on Thursday if Engelbrecht will waive extradition proceedings.

“If he doesn’t waive it, then we’ll have to go through the governors’ warrant extradition process,” said Roberts.

Engelbrecht is charged with lewd and lascivious conduct and sexual abuse of a minor by solicitation. A $100,000 nationwide warrant was issued for Engelbrecht’s arrest last week.

Engelbrecht was thought to be driving a Ford Ranger pickup truck with a canopy, although Roberts said the suspect acquired a recreational vehicle after leaving Idaho.

Engelbrecht came to the attention of police in Tampa, Fla., on June 21 because of an apparent domestic dispute he was involved in. But that contact came a couple of days before the Idaho warrant was issued and entered into federal crime information database.

“When they ran him, they didn’t have anything,” said Roberts.

Engelbrecht attracted the attention of police in Northville, a suburb of metropolitan Detroit on Wednesday. Roberts said it was not immediately clear why, but it might have had to do with where or how the RV was parked.

Roberts was relieved the hunt for Engelbrecht was not a protracted one.

“Oftentimes, when they go on the lam like that, they’re hard to find,” he said.