Arrest warrant for Arizona sex offender who escaped rehab

A felony warrant has been issued for the arrest of a potentially dangerous sex offender who escaped from an Arizona state hospital rehabilitation program.

Phoenix police said Wednesday that full nationwide extradition has been authorized for the arrest of Randy Layton.

The 37-year-old Layton has been missing since April 29 when he removed an ankle monitoring bracelet and ran away from an off-site outing in northeast Phoenix.

Arizona State Hospital’s Arizona Community Protection and Treatment Center treats sexually violent patients under court order after they’ve served prison time for sex crimes.

Authorities say Layton is considered a moderate risk with the potential to harm others.

He’s described as 5-foot-8 and 210 pounds with brown hair and eyes and multiple tattoos on his hands and arms.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.