Kenyan athlete runs 8km to evade US police arrest for sex crime charges
Eric Kipkemei Chirchir has been charged with criminal sexual contact, obstruction of justice, resisting arrest and eluding police and is being held at the Bergen County jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. PHOTO | COURTESY | BERGEN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.
What you need to know:
- When the police confronted Mr Chirchir, who is an employee at a golf centre, he darted past them and ran the eight kilometres to his house, leaving behind his bicycle and bag.
- The police found the runner hiding in a closet in his six-year-old daughter's room.
A Kenyan runner ran five miles (eight kilometres) to evade police in Bergen County, New Jersey, in the United States.
Eric Kipkemei Chirchir, 31, was confronted by New Jersey police officers after they received a report that he had inappropriately touched a 15-year-old girl.
According to police, Mr Chirchir entered the women’s locker room of the Bogota Golf Centre, where he encountered the teenager.
He then allegedly proceeded to touch her in an inappropriate manner.
The girl escaped and called the police to report the incident.
When the police confronted Mr Chirchir, who is an employee at the golf centre, he darted past them and ran the eight kilometres to his house, leaving behind his bicycle and bag.
'ELITE MARATHON RUNNER'
"He's fast," Detective Sgt Jon Misskerg of the Bogota Police Department told newjersey.com. "This is one of the world's elite marathon runners."
The police found the runner hiding in a closet in his six-year-old daughter's room.
Mr Chirchir, who celebrated his 31st birthday in detention on Thursday, has been charged with criminal sexual contact, obstruction of justice, resisting arrest and eluding police and is being held at the Bergen County jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Once Mr Chirchir is found to be no longer subject to the Bergen County jail detention, he will be handed over to the United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which may initiate deportation proceedings.
The Kenyan runner posted a personal best time of 7:50:06 in 3000m in Torino, Italy, in June 2007.
His personal best in a half marathon is 1:02:13, posted in December 2011 in Zhuhai, China, while his personal best in a marathon is 2:14:09.
