Ohio sex offender arrested at Hastings College
by
Dara Newson
Story Created:
Feb 17, 2012 at 12:15 AM CDT
Story Updated:
Feb 17, 2012 at 12:15 AM CDT
A registered sex offender from Ohio found hanging around Hastings College is now behind bars. Just hours after Hastings Police posted a fugitive's photo on Facebook, a student in the Library recognized him and made the call to law enforcement.
From Ohio to Nebraska then to Perkins Library, a lurking suspect makes a rather uninvited appearance.
"He was sitting across the table and three cops came in and stood him up and arrested him." said Corey Samuelson, Student.
36 year old Robert Payne, had a warrant out for his arrest for a parole violation. as a sex offender. Why he chose to visit Hastings College campus is unknown but students found it unsettling.
"I just worried he might put up a fight or someone might get hurt, that's about what was going through my mind," said Samuelson.
"It is weird that he came to the library especially the college library and was playing games but i guess its better than him going to a public library where there's a lot more children," said Jenny Sharrick, Student.
Hastings Police had Payne's photo on FaceBook and two library patrons happened to notice the fugitive.
They made the call.
But the Library isn't the only place Payne was seen, he also was spotted on campus earlier this week. On Tuesday and Wednesday.
"I came in my office here and noticed that he had seen me come in the building and followed me in and I kind of crashed in my office for a second," said Jessica Mohon, Financial Aid.
Mohon says Payne disappeared and returned.
"A little bit later he came back and he actually came in, told me that he was waiting to get into the library and asked if he could wait until they opened I directed him to the benches outside the library," said Mohon.
At the time Mohon wasn't aware of the Facebook posting but things started looking suspicious another staff member interacted with Payne.
"He came in late last night inquiring about his application for admission and he had contact with our office a couple days prior to the early morning incident wanting to use of a public phone," said Traci Boeve, Admissions Office.
The two say something just wasn't right.
"I guess through conversations we realized that we were talking about the same guy. It wasn't until this morning that I saw on the GI and Hastings Facebook page that he was wanted and I ran down to Tracy's office freaking out because I wasn't sure what to do and Tracy calmed me down and we called the police," said Mohon.
Payne is being held at the Adams County Jail.
Detectives also say, last year he was sentenced in the Nebraska Department of Corrections for forgery and bad checks and later released to Ohio on "discretionary parole."
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