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Wanted sex offender arrested in Brighton hotel

E-mail|Link|Comments () July 9, 2009 11:55 AM

By Michaela Stanelun, Globe Correspondent

A man whose name was added yesterday to the list of the state's Most Wanted Sex Offenders was arrested this morning in Brighton, State Police said.

William Velez Jr., 27, was hiding under a bed in a room at the Days Inn in Brighton and taken into custody by State Police at 1 a.m. Thursday morning. Velez was in the room with a girlfriend.

State Police had received information from another police department that had arrested some of his friends last week.

"The information we received from that department helped us figure out where he may be," said State Police spokesman David Procopio.

Velez is wanted by Waltham police on a number of charges, including home invasion, failure to register as a sex offender, and larceny under $250. He is wanted by Boston police for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Velez was convicted in 2006 of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, and violated terms of his probation.

On Wednesday, after state authorities released the names of wanted sex offenders, one man on the list was caught in Georgia. Marcus Nelson, 47, is wanted by Lynn police for failing to register as a sex offender following his sentence for a 1987 aggravated rape conviction in Georgia.

All of the people on list are Level 3 sex offenders. These offenders are deemed to be at the highest risk of committing another sex crime and are considered a danger to the community.