Police are asking the public for help locating an “armed and dangerous” child molestation suspect who could be hiding in northeast Georgia, authorities said Friday.
Fayetteville police are searching for 34-year-old James Appel, who is wanted on charges of aggravated child molestation and incest, the department said in a Facebook post.
Police have been searching for Appel since Wednesday, when officers responded to a call about an alleged sexual assault at a Fayetteville home.
“A search warrant on the residence was conducted and the investigation established probable cause to issue arrest warrants for James Appel,” authorities said. But Appel learned police had been called and was gone by the time they arrived, the department said.
He is believed to be driving a gray 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan and is likely armed with a handgun and an AR-15 style rifle, according to police. The SUV is registered in Georgia with the tag RXL3095, but investigators believe Appel switched the license plate with an Alabama drive-out tag.
Investigators tracked his cellphone to Rabun Gap and believe he could be in North Georgia or North Carolina, officials said.
Anyone who encounters Appel is asked not to approach him, but to call 911. Police said he is about 5-foot-6, weighs approximately 150 pounds and was last seen with a long beard.
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