Fugitive Victoria sex offender recaptured after asking cabbie to buy him clothes

Victoria police say they have recaptured a convicted child rapist, who was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for being unlawfully at large.

West Shore RCMP said Sunday that it arrested Scott Jones, 56, with the help of a quick-thinking taxi driver.

Jones had asked the Blue Bird cab driver to go into Superstore in Langford Sunday morning and buy him some clothes, telling the cabbie he couldn’t do it himself because he was sought by police, according to an RCMP media release.

The taxi driver went into the store and immediately phoned police.

When officers arrived on scene, Jones barricaded himself in the taxi and tried to light the upholstery on fire, said RCMP.

An officer smashed the window, and arrested him.

Investigators had released a public warning about Jones on Friday, when he was declared unlawfully at large.

Court documents show Jones served five years in prison for rape, gross indecency, and the attempted rape of three girls.

While on parole, he was charged with three counts of sexual assault with a weapon and three counts of unlawful confinement.

One of his victims was a nine-year-old girl who he sexually assaulted at knifepoint.

Jones carries a court-designated “dangerous offender” designation, which comes with a sentence of indefinite length.

A spokesperson for the Correctional Service of Canada said by law all offenders, even those with a DO designation, must be considered for some form of conditional release.

“Before an offender is returned to the community, CSC undertakes a comprehensive period of pre-release planning to ensure offender risk is manageable,” said the agency in a statement.

“A community supervision plan is developed outlining the measures required for the safe return of offenders to the community.”

It was not immediately clear whether Jones was on day parole, full parole, statutory release, or a long-term supervision order.

However, before disappearing he was last seen on the 500-block of Johnson Street, the same block as a halfway house operated by the Salvation Army.