Fugitive wanted on 865 counts of child rape arrested in Tallahassee

February 7, 2019

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- A Pennsylvania man wanted on 865 counts of child rape has been caught by U.S. Marshals in Tallahassee.

Deputy Commander Marty West confirms that 46-year-old Garrick Landon Bloom was arrested without incident at the Kearney Center around 11 a.m. Thursday.

Bloom was wanted on warrants out of Shippenville, Pennsylvania. The warrants were signed on January 16, but Bloom fled the area before authorities were able to take him into custody.

The U.S. Marshals Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force says investigators located Bloom after receiving information on Thursday that he was possibly in the Tallahassee area.

Bloom is facing the following charges: rape of a child (216 counts), involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child (216 counts), aggravated indecent assault of a child (216 counts), statutory sexual assault (216 Counts) and endangering the welfare of a child.

According to authorities, Bloom is accused of committing the crimes on a 5-year-old boy whom he allegedly "groomed" for several years.

West says Bloom has been staying at the homeless shelter for the past two days and has no known ties to Tallahassee.

Bloom is being held in the Leon County Detention Facility pending extradition back to Pennsylvania to face the charges.