Seattle police arrest rapist with mental capacity of 14-year-old who went missing from mental hospital

TACOMA -- Seattle police officers watching Q13 FOX News helped capture convicted rapist, Eric Wyatt, on Monday night --  just hours after he was featured on Q13 FOX News and the Washington's Most Wanted website, catchwmw.com.

A warning about Wyatt was broadcast on Q13 FOX News Monday night.

Seattle police officers saw him on the newscasts and rememberd that they had seen a guy matching Wyatt's description earlier in the day in Capitol Hill, police said. They alerted officers on the next shift who spotted him around 4 a.m. walking in the 200 block of Broadway and took him into custody.

Officers say Wyatt told them he just planned to walk around until he was caught.

Wyatt had failed to return to the Western State psychiatric hospital after being given a one-day pass earlier this week. Officers said Wyatt has been given one-day passes before, but has always returned to Western State Hospital in Lakewood.

DOC officers said Wyatt has the mental capacity of a 14-year-old, cannot control his sexual urges and is dangerous.

Wyatt is a level 3 sex offender who was convicted of raping a male roommate.

His case raises the question why a high-risk sex offender was allowed to leave the hospital?

Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney, Mark Lindquist, is pushing for a change in the law. "This is an alarming example, but not the only incident of dangerous offenders being released in the community without adequate supervision."

Lindquist says, they are making some progress with a new proposal to make it more difficult for offenders to escape from Western State Hospital.