An Iowa man who went on the run after he allegedly sexually abused three of his nine children was arrested early Thursday morning in Chicago.
Authorities with the U.S. Marshal Service located James Julius Beaudrie, 36, after tracking the suspect from Des Moines to Salt Lake City and back through the Midwest.
The investigations dates back six months to when Beaudrie's oldest daughter ran away from home, leading her father to be charged with assault, ABC-5 reported.
The Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force burst into a Chicago apartment complex North Lawndale Avenue around 7 a.m. this morning, according to a statement.
Beaudrie escaped, but not for long, according to the Marshals.
"Once the arrest team made entry into the apartment, task force officers learned that Beaudrie had fled through a rear door... moments earlier in an apparent attempt to avoid arrest," the Marshal Service said. "Following a short search of the area, task force officers located Beaudrie who was attempting to hide under a stairwell of the apartment complex. Task force officers arrested Beaudrie without further incident."
Authorities brought Beaudrie to Chicago Police Department’s central processing center. He is expected to be placed in Cook County Jail where he will await extradition to Iowa, police said.
Police initially thought that Beaudrie fled Des Moines for Salt Lake City, where his abandoned van was found on April, 13, parked at a Greyhound bus station.
At one point, police believed that the suspect was making stops at "Magic: The Gathering" trading card conventions during his run from the law.
"Beaudrie has an interest in “Magic: The Gathering” and “Yu-Gi-Oh” trading and game cards," according to a previous statement. "Beaudrie may be traveling the country and attending conventions and trade shows where these types of cards are bought and sold."
The Marshall Service noted that Salt Lake City was also the site of a “Magic: The Gathering” convention on March 31 through April 1.
On Monday, authorities arrested the suspects wife, Kijua Beaudrie, on three counts of neglect of a dependent child, KCCI reported.
Before going on the lam, Beaudrie was living with his family in the GameSip store inside Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines, which he operated, ABC-5 reported.
James Beaudrie faces eight counts of sexual abuse.
All nine of his children are under the age of 16 and now in foster care.