DENVER (KDVR) — A 40-year-old Denver man, who was the focus of an Amber Alert bulletin last November, is on the run again.
Court records confirm a new arrest warrant has been issued for Anwar Rhodes. He apparently cut off his GPS ankle monitor and failed to show up for a Monday court hearing on domestic violence charges.
The FOX31 Problem Solvers spoke with his ex-girlfriend in an exclusive interview.
“He can come back, and this time he will kill me. He could kill my whole family. He has nothing to lose,” Makalah Garner said.
Garner received an email from her pretrial victim advocate Monday morning that read, in part: “We received a Tracker Strap Tamper Alert for Anwar Rhodes and he is considered unmonitored at this time. Please follow your safety plan and call 911 immediately with any safety concerns.”
Garner immediately posted a warning on the Nextdoor app for the community to be on the lookout for Rhodes.
“I feel like a sitting duck, like am I just supposed to wait for my son to get kidnapped again or for me to be murdered? Who’s going to take care of my children?”
Man accused of assaulting ex, taking son
Denver Police issued an Amber Alert on Nov. 9 that said, in part: “Information gathered indicates that Rhodes assaulted the child’s mother and took the infant child from the mother.”
Rhodes is the biological father of the boy he’s accused of kidnapping. He and his son were found two days later, on Nov. 11, in Wyoming. The boy was safely returned to his mother.
At that time, Denver prosecutors charged Rhodes with eight counts:
- Assault/strangulation
- Assault/serious bodily harm
- Child abuse/reckless bodily injury
- Violation of a protection order
- Child abuse/negligence
- Assault/reckless injury
- Reckless endangerment
- Witness/victim tampering
He was set to appear for his arraignment on Monday when he skipped his court appearance. He had been free on a $50,000 bond but had been wearing an ankle monitor as part of his bond conditions.
A warrant for failure to appear has been issued, but four days later, Garner is terrified that her ex-boyfriend hasn’t been apprehended.
“I’m afraid. I have people walking me to my car with my son. I look under my car. I check my car,” Garner said.
The 40-year-old Denver woman said Rhodes was facing 8-10 years in prison under a proposed plea deal, although the Denver District Attorney’s Office refused to confirm the offer had been made.
GPS monitor cut off, man on the run
Garner said she suspects Rhodes cut off his ankle monitor and fled because he knew he wasn’t going to be able to avoid prison time, as he got probation for a prior misdemeanor conviction when Garner said Rhodes broke her jaw in 2020.
“He didn’t even want to face the fact that he was an abuser. He told multiple people, ‘No, I wasn’t. No, I wasn’t. No, I’m not.'”
If Rhodes is caught, the judge must grant Rhodes bond again, as required under state law, although the amount could be much higher than $50,000.
Anyone who sees Rhodes is asked to call 911.
