On 12/28/14, the PCSO Sex Offender Registration and Tracking (SORT) Unit received information from the Pinal County Adult Probation Department that Willard Castaneda, a Level 3 Registered Sex Offender, had cut off his GPS ankle bracelet and had absconded from his home in Maricopa. Since that time he had not been located and had outstanding arrest warrants for violating sex-offender registration laws.
On August 14, an off-duty PCSO Detective recognized Willard Castaneda while he was off-duty at a Tucson shopping mall. The detective recognized Castaneda from his work on the US Marshal’s Violent Offender Task Force.
Upon recognizing Castaneda, the detective called in on-duty members of the Violent Offender Task Force to arrest Castaneda for his outstanding warrants. He was arrested without incident and has since been extradited back to Pinal County.
Willard Castaneda is subject to sex offender registration due to a 2010 conviction for Sexual Conduct with a Minor (Dangerous Crimes Against Children) in Maricopa County. Castaneda’s offense involved sexual conduct with a 14- year-old female. Castaneda also has prior convictions for Armed Robbery, Possession of Dangerous Drugs, and numerous misdemeanor convictions.