Hollister Police arrested two local sex offenders in recent weeks for lying about their registration status, according to authorities.
The first arrest, of Miguel Zarazua, 37, occurred Jan. 22. Patrol officers were dispatched to a home on Knight Lane in Hollister on a report of a family argument. When officers arrived, they learned that Zarazua had been residing at the home for several months.
Zarazua had previously been registering as a “transient” sex offender, and failed to update his registration address with the police department, police said in a Feb. 13 press release. Zarazua was booked at San Benito County Jail for failing to register with the police department when he moved into the new residence.
Zarazua was convicted in 2003 of rape by force or fear, according to the Megan’s Law sex offender registry website.
On Feb. 7, Hollister Police made a similar arrest when Julio Arevalo, 35, visited the police department to update his status as a transient sex offender, authorities said. A detective interviewed Arevalo and learned that he failed to properly disclose his current address about 39 times in the last three years.
Arevalo has been living in an apartment on Rancho Drive, but had previously failed to register that address, police said. He was arrested and booked on suspicion of failing to update his sex offender registration.
Arevalo was convicted in 2004 of lewd or lascivious acts with a child and sex penetration with a foreign object of a child victim, according to the Megan’s Law website.
Anyone with information with these investigations can call Hollister Police Det. Bo Leland at (831) 638-4115. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call WeTip at (800) 78-CRIME. Information provided to WeTip may qualify for a reward.
