A 33-year-old registered sex offender was arrested Tuesday at Mazeppa Park in Mooresville after deputies said they found him near a playground where multiple children were present. Authorities identified the man as Takim Lashawn Holmes of Statesville and said he was wanted on multiple outstanding sex offender violations. Deputies said Holmes was taken into custody without incident and that officers discovered marijuana and drug paraphernalia on him.
What police say
As reported by Queen City News, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office says Detective B. Padgett and Deputy T. Cinque located Holmes about 300 feet from the playground and arrested him without incident. He was charged with a felony count of “sex offender at/near child premises” and misdemeanor counts for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, and was booked into the Iredell County Detention Center on a $100,000 secured bond.
State law in play
North Carolina law bars registered sex offenders from knowingly being on premises intended primarily for children, including playgrounds, and in some circumstances from being within 300 feet of those locations. A violation of G.S. 14-208.18 is a Class H felony. That statute spells out when the prohibition applies and is the legal basis for the charge against Holmes; see G.S. 14-208.18 for the full text.
Mazeppa Park and local context
Mazeppa Park is a heavily used Mooresville recreation area with playgrounds, athletic fields and trails that regularly host youth teams and family outings, which helps explain why officers treat reports of registered offenders there as urgent. The sheriff’s account, that Holmes was found roughly 300 feet from a playground while children were present, is what triggered the felony charge and immediate arrest. Visit Mooresville notes that Mazeppa Park draws regular youth activity.
Sheriff ramps up compliance work
The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office has said it is proactively enforcing sex offender registration rules through its Sex Offender Compliance Unit, and the agency highlighted a recent capture in a June 16 news release, noting investigators will pursue offenders who violate registration requirements. Iredell County Sheriff’s Office officials framed that work as part of efforts to keep child-focused public spaces safe.
Next steps
Holmes remains in custody pending an initial magistrate appearance and any filings from prosecutors, and court paperwork and detention records will show how the case proceeds. The sheriff’s office and the courts are the official sources for new details as the matter moves through the local system.
