Warren Jeffs, the polygamous leader wanted by authorities, apparently wasn’t home when federal agents came knocking at the door of a small ranch home in a modest Lakewood neighborhood Tuesday morning.
Jeffs, 50, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is wanted in Utah and Arizona on charges that he arranged polygamist marriages for underage girls. Federal charges of unlawful flight have recently been added against him.
He has not been seen publicly in nearly two years.
This past weekend, the FBI added Jeffs to its list of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, and he was also profiled on the “America’s Most Wanted” television program.
A tip from out of town was called in to local authorities Tuesday morning that Jeffs was seen at a Lakewood home in the 2600 block of South Flower Street, 9News was told.
The federal agents at the scene wouldn’t comment about their search of the home and neighborhood, but some in the area who were questioned said they were shown a picture of Jeffs and asked about him.
An FBI spokeswoman told the station the agency had received “tips of value” since Jeffs was put on the most wanted list this weekend.
Lakewood police were called to the home about noon to aid the FBI, said Steve Davis, a police spokesman.
Officers stood by outside while FBI agents were inside the home until the federal agents told them they were no longer needed, Davis said.
Authorities on Saturday raised the reward on Jeffs from $50,000 to $100,000.
