Cops Stop Homeless Sex Offender Running Across Harlem Avenue

Orland Park police arrested a homeless sex offender, recently released from prison, as he was running across Harlem Avenue.

Officers on patrol saw a man wearing a hood over his head, carrying items and running east across Harlem Avenue in the 15300 block around 2 a.m. on Aug. 15. Because of a string of burglaries in the area, police stopped Dwayne C. Jarnigan, 51, without a last known address, who revealed he was homeless and "walking without a destination," according to a police report.

Jarnigan's record showed he hadn’t registered as a sex offender as is required in the terms of his sentencing.

The Orland Park police report states that Jarnigan was convicted of attempted murder and aggravated criminal sexual assault in 1993 and served 18 years in prison before being released in February 2011.

At that time, he was transferred to Cook County Jail to serve a six-month sentence on a different charge, and was subsequently released on May 19, 2011.

He was required to register as a sex offender by May 22, and is required to continue registering for life, police said.

He cooperated with officers and was taken to the without incident.

Jarnigan was charged with failure to register as a sex offender, and was held at the police station pending further investigation.