SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. — A U.S. Customs & Border Protection agent working in Arizona was arrested this week and is accused of sexually abusing children.
Dana Thornhill, 49, is a special agent with Border Patrol, and he came under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security for alleged child sex abuse.
Police say Thornhill fled to Sierra Vista early Thursday after getting tipped off about the investigation. An hours-long standoff ensued after Thornhill barricaded himself inside a church near Huachuca City.
Sierra Vista Police officers believed Thornhill was armed and was especially cautious due to his training in law enforcement.
After a four-hour standoff, negotiators finally convinced Thornhill to surrender, and he was arrested peacefully.
Thornhill was booked into the Cochise County Jail on two counts each of sexual conduct with a minor and sexual assault and is being held without bond.
The investigation is ongoing, and police are asking for more information about Thornhill’s alleged activities.
Anyone with information should call police at (520) 452-7500.
