A homeless sex offender sought for failing to register was caught by police Tuesday night at a Leesburg gas station.
Michael Wayne McCall, 61, was arrested by Leesburg Police at the Circle K store at 2211 Citrus Blvd. He’s required to register as a sex offender due to his conviction in March 1992 for lewd and lascivious behavior with a child and sexual battery by an adult on a victim under 12, according to an affidavit of probable cause out of Lake County.
McCall last completed a full sex offender registration on April 23 and provided the address of 2110 Citrus Boulevard Apt. 5, which was the same address he had been giving since May 2022, the affidavit said.
On July 14, an officer arrived at the address in reference to a civil complaint. During this call, she attempted to verify that he still lived there. She was advised that he was evicted and no longer resided at that location. Four days later – on July 18 – another officer tried to verify that McCall was at his listed address. The onsite hotel manager advised that McCall was served a 24-hour notice to vacate on June 2 and left the next day. The manager said he still saw McCall from time to time, but he didn’t know where he was living, according to the affidavit.
A third officer contacted the hotel manager that same day to confirm his statements, the affidavit said. The manager advised that McCall’s sister was in the area and might know his whereabouts, the affidavit said.
McCall’s sister was eventually contacted by phone, and she stated that he was in the Leesburg area. She last saw him by the shopping carts on the pharmacy side of the Leesburg Walmart on July 14. She further advised that he had an unknown girlfriend in the area but did not know any details, the affidavit said.
Once McCall was arrested Tuesday, he was charged with sexual offender failure to report vacating a residence with 48 hours. He was transported to the Lake County Jail and held without bond until his first appearance hearing.
