Facing 65 felony charges involving sex crimes against three children, San Jacinto fugitive nabbed in Rosarito, Mexico
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif., — Authorities say a former San Jacinto man facing sixty-five felony charges involving sex crimes against three minors, who became a fugitive from justice when he twice failed to appear in court to answer his charges, was apprehended in Mexico earlier this week.
The man, 77-year-old Harry Arlington Durette, has since been extradited back to Riverside County where his bail has been set at $1 million. He faces a potential sentence of life in prison if convicted as charged, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
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Durette was initially arrested and charged with lewd acts on a single child in August 2020. He was able to post bail and was released from custody, pending his arraignment and trial.
With Durette released on bail, DA Investigator Mike Riley continued the investigation that ultimately uncovered evidence that Durette had sexually assaulted at least two more underage victims.
Harry Arlington Durette became a fugitive from justice when he failed to show up for two 2020 court appearances. He was eventually tracked down to Rosarito, Mexico by the Riverside County DA’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit, where he was apprehended with help from the U.S. Marshal’s Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force.
In November 2021, an amended complaint adding the new crimes was filed against Durette charging him with a total of sixty-five felonies involving the three minors.
However, when Durette failed to appear on the date of his preliminary hearing in October 2021, a $55,000 bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Then, when Durette failed once again to show up for a November 2021 court appearance, a judge increased his warrant to one million dollars.
The following month, officials sought help from the DA’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit in locating the wanted defendant.
Assigned to follow up on the case, DA Investigator Ryan Oakley then began gathering information and developing leads that indicated Durette had possibly fled to Mexico.
With the assistance of the U.S. Marshal’s Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, Durette was found in Rosarito on Tuesday, March 8, where he was taken into custody.
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Since extradited and booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, Durette is now scheduled to be arraigned on March 10, at the Southwest Justice Center. He remains in custody, where he is being held in lieu of $1 million bail or bond
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Nicole Cooper of the DA’s Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit.
Anyone with any information about this case or who may have been a victim of Durette is urged to immediately contact DA Investigator Mike Riley at (951) 955-5666 or [email protected]. Callers can refer to incident file number SWF2007503 and can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 51, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and operates Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS), which act as stringer-news providers for other mainstream media organizations throughout the two regions they serve.
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.