Police have located convicted child sex offender Daniel Livingstone, who has been on the run since cutting off his ankle bracelet yesterday.
A member of the public alerted police to Livingstone's whereabouts after spotting him at the Naenae shops in Hutt Valley this afternoon.
Livingstone made a brief attempt to flee, but was apprehended within an established cordon.
He will be taken to Wellington Central Police Station and will appear in court tomorrow morning.
Livingstone, who is subject to an extended supervision order, cut off an ankle monitoring bracelet and fled from his home in Wellington's Upper Hutt yesterday.
Police were called to his address by Corrections staff when the tamper alarm on his bracelet was activated around 3:50am.
A note was found at the property, but police say they are unclear about its meaning.
Police also appear to be dismissing reports they gave Livingstone a "head start".
"Officers visited the property where Mr Livingstone was living on two separate occasions at the request of Corrections in the early hours of Thursday morning," Wellington District Commander Sam Hoyle says.
"In these circumstances, there are no specific powers of entry without warrant for a constable to forcibly enter premises when they believe an offender is not there.
"On the third visit, police took the step of forcing entry to the property given the seriousness of the situation."
Mr Hoyle says the search for Livingstone had already been underway for several hours by that time.
"He was actively sought as an absconder from the moment that door knocking at his property failed to gain a response."
Livingstone was convicted in 2006 for the abduction and rape of a 10-year-old girl in Whangarei.
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