Ex-MTV actuality star Connor Smith has been arrested in Florida after a 12 months on the run from police in Illinois.
With the assistance of the Pinellas County Sheriff, the Are You the One? alum was booked into custody on Thursday, March 28, the place he’s being held with out bond, Us Weekly can verify by on-line data.
In response to Fox 32, Smith, 33, has been on the run since February 2023 after he was accused of chatting with a detective posing as an underage woman.
On the time, police informed the Chicago information affiliate that Smith allegedly drove to a shopping center parking zone to satisfy who he thought was an underage woman for a sexual encounter.
Quickly after Smith pulled into the parking zone, police stated he noticed sheriff’s officers approaching his pickup truck. He proceeded to drive off in hopes of evading arrest.
“He became very wary immediately,” Christopher Covelli, deputy chief of the Lake County Sheriff’s Workplace, informed Fox 32. “Put the car in drive, drove over a curb, drove over a significant amount of grass out on to a major roadway fleeing from our investigators. Our investigators gave chase for a bit. Eventually, he was going at such a dangerous and excessive speed they terminated that pursuit.”
The Lake County Sheriff’s Workplace issued a nationwide warrant for Smith’s arrest on prices of grooming, touring to satisfy a minor and disseminating dangerous materials.
“Connor Smith kept engaging this girl in communication, in conversation, eventually sending lewd photos of himself to who he thought was this girl, really an undercover detective, and then worked out a plan to meet who he thought was this girl to engage in a sexual relationship,” Covelli beforehand stated. “We believe he’s very aware that he’s wanted for these serious crimes in Illinois.”
Smith was finally arrested by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Workplace at a Clearwater, Florida tackle.
Smith first appeared on season 3 of MTV’s actuality relationship present Are You the One? in 2015. After failing to discover a lasting relationship, the fact star left filming in Hawaii and returned to his hometown in Chicago to work on opening his personal health club.
After the present, he expressed curiosity in doing extra actuality TV sooner or later.
“To all of those who keep asking why I haven’t been on @TheChallengeMTV trust me I would love to go show them what’s up,” he wrote via X in November 2017. “Make the call guys.”