Southwest
Arizona man arrested after faking death to avoid registering as sex offender: 'Nice try'
A man in Arizona was arrested earlier this week after he allegedly faked his own death to avoid registering as a sex offender, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.
Benjamin Hollins, 50, who was originally convicted as a sex offender more than 20 years ago in California, was arrested on Tuesday after officers with the Chandler Police Department located him living at a home in Mesa, Arizona, under a false identity.
The sheriff’s office did not say why police were looking for him or how they came across him.
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Benjamin Hollins, 50, was arrested Tuesday for faking his own death to avoid registering as a sex offender, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. (Pinal County Sheriff’s Office)
Hollins was living in Arizona City by 2018 and had failed to register as a sex offender outside of California, according to a post by the sheriff’s office on Facebook. He was also working as a behavioral health counselor.
During that job, Hollins kidnapped and attempted to molest a 16-year-old client. He was sentenced to supervised probation after taking a plea deal, which required him to register as a sex offender every year.
He did not follow through with the requirement and attempted to fake his own death in October 2023, the sheriff’s office said.
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A woman, who has not been identified, told police she witnessed Hollins take his life by jumping off the bridge at the Theodore Roosevelt Lake Dam between Gila and Maricopa counties.
“A lot of resources were wasted looking for his body, which was clearly not found because he wasn’t dead,” Sheriff Mark Lamb said.
Hollins, 50, was located at a house in Mesa, Arizona, and was living under a false identity. (Pinal County Sheriff’s Office)
Hollins’ sex offender registration lapsed when he was “dead,” according to the sheriff’s office, and when he was found in Mesa, he was living with a family with young children.
The family had “no idea about his history,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
Lamb explained Hollins’ arrest in a short video posted to Facebook on Thursday.
“Nice try, Benjamin. We found you. You’re not dead. We’re gonna hold you accountable,” Lamb said in the video.
Hollins is scheduled to be in court on Tuesday.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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