HOUSTON – Houston police are saying a man who volunteered in the Houston area and sexually assaulted two children is now in custody.
Lee Smith III, 29, is charged with sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child and was arrested Sunday in Boise, Idaho, police said.
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Police said on Aug. 1, 2017, Smith raped a 15-year-old girl in his apartment in the 12100 block of Northborough Drive and fondled an 8-year-old boy the same day.
On Oct. 3, HPD put out a call asking or help looking for Smith after he moved out of his apartment and hadn’t been seen in couple months.
Neighbors said they remember Smith from the odd get-up he often wears: hospital scrubs and a lab coat. Police initially said they believed he posed as a pediatrician to get close to children, though as the investigation has unfolded, they no longer believe this theory.
Officials said Lee did own a white lab coat with an embroidering of his name and "pediatrician" on it, though they do not believe he actually posed as a medical provider.
“He would just walk around here. We would have to keep our blinds closed. I have kids, I got five of them, and he would peek in our apartment and I had to keep my blinds closed all the time every time he was at home,” Stephanie Johnson said.
Police described him as being 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing 210 pounds, with a deformity on his head that gives the appearance of dreadlocks.
Nearly two weeks later, on Oct. 14, Boise City police reported seeing a silver Mercedes Benz with a flat tire in a parking lot with a man who matched Smith's description in the driver's seat.
Boise police said they were able to confirm his identity and wanted status and took him into custody without incident.
Houston police said Boise officials are working to provide more details on what was found inside Lee's car when he was arrested. Investigators are working to determine if Lee was attempting to flee the country.
According to police, there could potentially be other victims, and they are asking anyone with information to contact the HPD Special Victim’s Division at 713-308-1100 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.