A sex offender in Gulfport and his mother were arrested Wednesday for lying to law enforcement.
According to Harrison County Sheriff Matt Haley, investigators with his department alongside U.S. Marshals went to a home on Jefferson Avenue to serve an arrest warrant for Andrew Betancourt. Betancourt had failed to register as a sex offender, which is required to do so by law.
Upon arrival at the home, law enforcement encountered Betancourt’s mother, Jodi Klubnik. Klubnik stated her son did not live at the residence and she was said to have been overall uncooperative with officers. Law enforcement then entered the home and found Betancourt hiding underneath a bed.
Both Betancourt and Klubnik were arrested. Betancourt was charged with one felony count of failure to register as a sex offender, and Klubnik was charged with one felony count of harboring a sex offender in violation.
Betancourt is being held in lieu of a $25,000 bond set by Justice Court Judge Theressia Lyons while Klubnik is being held in lieu of a $200,000 bond set by Justice Court Judge Brandon Ladner.