Convicted Tulsa Child Molester Dies After Setting Himself On Fire

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- A Tulsa County man has died after setting himself on fire during a stand-off Thursday afternoon with Tulsa law enforcement officers. 

The incident occurred in the 14100 block of East Apache. 

According to the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, a parole and probation deputy went to serve a felony arrest warrant to Johnnie J. Hobbs, 47, a convicted child molester.  

Hobbs locked himself inside a van at about 3 p.m.

"He poured some kind of flammable liquid in the floor of the van and set it on fire," said Chief Deputy Tim Albin, Tulsa County Sheriff's Office.

The officers called in the Tulsa Fire Department, and the fire in the van burned out on its own, Albin said.

"We did a tactical approach to the van, got the doors opened and discovered the subject's body inside the van," he said.

Hobbs, 47, has several convictions for lewd molestaton, lewd or indecent proposals/acts with a child and showing obscene materials to a minor.

"I guess he didn't want to go back to prison," the chief deputy said.

Tulsa County Sheriff's Office deputies and Tulsa Police are still investigating at this time.

"We've never had anyone suicide-out by fire," Albin said. "This is unique."