Arkansas man arrested after child found in closet hideaway that was nailed shut

A northwest Arkansas man was arrested after police found his child in a hidden closet compartment that was nailed shut while they were assisting state officials who were trying to take custody of the minor, authorities said.

Jon Thompson, 40, of Tontitown, was arrested Friday and accused of endangering the welfare of a minor, first-degree false imprisonment, interference with custody, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of body armor, the Washington County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.

He has not been charged yet, according to a spokesperson with the DA’s office.

The child is 5 years old, NBC affiliate KNWA of Rogers, Arkansas, reported.

Tontitown police released body camera video of the discovery as they were working with Arkansas Department of Human Services personnel to secure custody of Thompson’s child, a partially redacted incident report said.

The 22-second video showed a man in overalls and a backwards hat kneeling in a closet. The man ducks under shirts hanging in the closet.

A voice can be heard saying, “Baby,” “baby.” Voices are also heard on the video saying, “Hey, sweetie” as the man appears to open the hidden compartment.

The closet compartment was hidden and nailed shut, according to the incident report.

“Jon moved some boxes and then had to pull a board that was nailed to the wall to get access to a small space behind the closet wall,” the incident report said.

“Jon admitted to concealing … inside the compartment so DHS would not take custody,” the incident report said.

Thompson could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The representative with the prosecutors’ office said no attorney was listed for him. Thompson, the representative said, was issued a $5,000 bond which was posted Sunday. He is scheduled for arraignment on Dec. 4.

According to a police report, Thompson initially did not allow authorities to enter the home when they arrived Wednesday. He produced paperwork indicating that he had been awarded custody of the child on Oct. 24, the report states. Officers then presented Thompson with documents that said the state had been granted an order of custody of the child, the incident report said.

The report did not include details about why the state had been awarded custody of the child.