On November 2, 2023, a 5-year-old girl was rescued from a closet in Tontitown, Arkansas. Police and the Department of Human Services were paying John Thompson a visit to remove the girl from his home. Thompson initially denied the girl was there.
He eventually admitted she was present and let the officers inside. They heard noise coming from the bedroom. Thompson led them to a closet where he moved stuff around and removed a board. The girl came out from a small crawl space. The whole incident was caught on bodycam footage.
Thompson was arrested on charges of first-degree child endangerment. He is also charged with interfering with court-ordered custody. On November 6, he posted $5,000 bail after pleading not guilty in court. He is now a free man for the time being but is scheduled to be back in court on December 4.
Detective Keith Lindley was present at the child’s rescue. "She was very emotional when she came out and pretty scared," he recalled. "He had instructed her not to make a sound or reveal she was back there."
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Thompson also faces other legal troubles. At the time of his arrest "he was on bond in connection for a methamphetamine charge from our neighbor city to the north," Detective Lindley explained. It is unknown at this time if Thompson has retained a lawyer.
