A man accused of failing to re-register as a sex offender when he moved from an Onalaska address in April has been arrested.
State law requires the defendant, Donald E. Thomas, 48, to register as a Level 1 sex offender due to a 2010 conviction in Lewis County Superior Court for third-degree rape of a child. He registered with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office following his release from prison in 2013 and was properly registered until he moved to Missouri in May 2021. He returned to Lewis County in October 2021 and re-registered at the sheriff’s office with an address in the 400 block of Viewridge Road, Onalaska. A deputy visited that address in May 2022 to confirm Thomas was still living there, but when he arrived, the home’s current occupant informed the deputy Thomas had moved out a month prior.
A detective searched for Thomas but was unable to find him. His location was still unknown in July when the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office filed failure to register charges against him.
A Lewis County Superior Court judge approved a $25,000 warrant for his arrest on Aug. 1.
Washington State Patrol arrested Thomas on that warrant Monday afternoon and he was booked into the Lewis County Jail.
“I believe there are definitely mitigating circumstances,” said Thomas’ defense attorney, Rachael Tiller, during Thomas’ preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Tuesday.
Tiller said those circumstances would be discussed in court as the case progresses.
Tiller also provided Thomas’ updated address, which is also in Onalaska, and his contact information to the court.
Due to Thomas’ financial situation, Judge J. Andrew Toynbee lowered Thomas’ bail to $10,000 on Tuesday.
His next court appearance is an arraignment hearing scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 25.
