Bail set at $2.5M for Pierce County child rape suspect found living in an RV in Arizona

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - Agents with Washington Fugitive Investigations (WFI) located and arrested a Pierce County child rape suspect in Tucson, Arizona on Friday.

According to Tacoma/Pierce County Crime Stoppers, 58-year-old Michael Barber was arrested in 2021 for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in a park near her home in Spanaway. Barber allegedly threatened to kill the victim if she told anyone what happened. 

Barber was charged with two counts of second-degree child rape, first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping and felony harassment. He was later released on $250,000 bail, but failed to appear for his court hearing.  

On Friday, WFI agents announced they had located Barber living in an RV in Tucson, Arizona. Authorities say the RV was provided to him by his wife. 

Barber was taken into custody without incident, and will be returned to Pierce County.

A judge set a higher bail this time, at $2.5 million. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Pierce Co. deputies looking for child rape suspect who failed to appear in court

According to court documents, in 2021, Barber was at the victim's home earlier in the day looking for yard work. Court documents say Barber lived near the victim. Later that day, he committed the alleged assault.

The victim and her mother were able to identify Barber from Ring surveillance footage. 

At the time, when deputies went to his home to arrest him, he refused to come out. A SWAT team was called in, and he was arrested after an hours-long standoff. 

After failing to appear in court, authorities offered a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to his arrest.

This is a developing story.