A man convicted in the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Kentucky boy in 2015 is back behind bars, this time in Florida, after his early release at the beginning of the month sparked social media outrage and criticism from the Trump White House.
Ronald Exantus, 42, was arrested Thursday after an investigation by the Marion County Sheriff's Office in Ocala revealed that he had recently relocated to the Sunshine State and failed to register as a felon within 48 hours, as required by state law.
Under Florida law, convicted felons are required to register with the sheriff's office within 48 hours of release or entering a county.
According to Spectrum News 1, Exantus is being held without bond in the Marion County Jail.
"I am proud of the quick response by my deputies and the inter-agency teamwork that helped locate and arrest this disgusting individual," Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said in a Facebook post. "The fact that he was living right next to an elementary school is even more repulsive. I have no tolerance for this type of dangerous person flaunting our laws and thinking he would hide out in our county."
In a post on social platform X, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said state officials are "working to send [Exantus] back to Kentucky."
Exantus stabbed Logan Tipton, 6, to death in the early morning hours of Dec. 7, 2015, after driving from Indianapolis, where he lived, to Kentucky and entering the Tiptons' unlocked home. According to reports, Exantus killed Logan with a butcher knife he found in the home as the family tried to stop him.
He was reportedly sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2018 after a jury convicted him of second-degree assault in the attack on other family members, finding him not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.
Exantus was released Oct. 1 under a 2012 Kentucky law aimed at reducing recidivism among nonviolent offenders by providing mandatory reentry supervision as inmates adjust to life post-incarceration. According to reports, Exantus became eligible for the program because the second-degree assault charges did not classify him as a violent offender.
A few days after Exantus' release, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Trump administration was investigating the circumstances surrounding his release.
"It's wholly unacceptable for a child killer to walk free after just several years in prison," Leavitt wrote on X.
Kentucky's Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday that he would be willing to work with state lawmakers to amend the statute that led to Exantus' release, according to Spectrum News 1.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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