Child Rape Suspect Refuses To Turn Himself In

Minnehaha County investigators hope the public can help heat-up the trail that's grown cold for a suspected child rapist. 

Authorities have issued a warrant for 60 year-old Albert Wayne Armentrout who's wanted for raping an 8-year-old girl in Sioux Falls last fall.   Armentrout is believed to still be in the Sioux Falls area and getting help from others to lay low.

To the young victim, he was known as "Grandpa Wayne," but to local law enforcement, Albert Wayne Armentrout is a wanted man facing felony rape, who refuses to come out of hiding.

"We've received information that Albert, formerly of Lennox, apparently does not want to turn himself in, does not want to go to jail.  We've kind of ran out of options right now, so we're asking if anybody knows of his whereabouts," Sgt. Jason Gearman of the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Department said.

Authorities say Armentrout had sexual contact with the little girl at a southwest Sioux Falls apartment last year.  The case was reported in October and investigators think Armentrout has had help staying out of sight for the past five months.
  
"Somebody's helping him, whether it'd be friends, family, we don't know at this point, but we feel that he's probably in the Sioux Falls area," Gearman said.

While authorities don't think Armentrout is a threat to the public, they're hoping someone will come forward with valuable information that leads to his arrest.

"Tell us where he's at, or the best thing is be have him walk in the front door of the jail and take care of it himself.  It would look good for him to go to court, that he's not running, he might get a lower bond," Gearman said.

A check of Armentrout's criminal past shows no previous sex crimes. He does have a theft conviction going back to 1998.