Joint Investigation Leads to Arrest of Fugitive Charged with Child Sex Abuse

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release   

       Joint Investigation Leads to Arrest of Fugitive Charged with Child Sex Abuse  

Rossville Man Charged as Accessory After the Fact for Assisting Wanted Suspect

 

From the Office of DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden:

FORT PAYNE, AL - July 24, 2026 - Following an intensive four-week multi-agency investigation, law enforcement officers have apprehended a fugitive wanted for the sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.

The investigation began near the end of June 2026, when the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) and the Department of Human Resources (DHR) received a complaint regarding suspected child sexual abuse at a residence near Geraldine, AL. Investigators and DHR responded immediately. Following a forensic interview conducted through the Children's Advocacy Center, investigators established sufficient probable cause to obtain an arrest warrant for Charles Wayne Hice Sr. (66 Rossville, Ga)

Before officers could execute the warrant, Hice fled the state. Over the next three weeks, DCSO investigators interviewed multiple witnesses and uncovered evidence detailing years of abuse by Hice, as well as additional victims across both Alabama and Georgia.

During the search, DCSO investigator received a tip that Hice had been seen in the Rossville, Georgia area and in contact with Jonathan Lecroy, 41. DCSO contacted investigators in Rossville and when questioned by Rossville and DCSO investigators, Lecroy claimed that Hice had come to his property about three weeks earlier but left walking, and hasn't been seen since. Investigators explicitly warned Lecroy that Hice was a wanted fugitive and instructed him to contact law enforcement immediately if he had any information regarding Hice's location.

On the morning of July 24, 2026, a tip placed Hice at a hotel on Ringgold Road in East Ridge, Tennessee. DCSO investigators contacted the East Ridge Police Department to verify his presence. Upon arrival, East Ridge detectives located a truck belonging to Lecroy parked at the hotel. Detectives observed Hice entering the vehicle with a male subject, who was later identified as Lecroy, and conducted a traffic stop.

Hice was taken into custody without incident on his outstanding felony warrant. Lecroy, who admitted to renting the hotel room for Hice and providing him with transportation, was arrested at the scene.

Summary of Suspects and Charges:

Charles Wayne Hice Sr. (66)
Charges: Sexual Abuse of a Child Under 12 (DeKalb County, AL Warrant)
Status: In custody in Tennessee awaiting extradition to Alabama.
Jonathan Lecroy (41, of Rossville, GA)
Charges: Accessory After the Fact (East Ridge, TN)
Status: In custody in Tennessee.

DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said of the incident: "Protecting children is the highest duty of law enforcement, and our investigators worked tirelessly alongside our partner agencies across state lines to bring this fugitive to justice. We are deeply grateful to the Department of Human Resources, the Children's Advocacy Center, the Rossville Police Department, and the East Ridge Police Department for their assistance in taking these individuals into custody."

"God Bless!" Concluded Sheriff Welden.