Los Angeles police said John Burgess, a convicted sex offender, was arrested around 8 p.m. Monday at his apartment on the 5500 block of Barton Avenue in Hollywood.
Two women reported to police that Burgess, 40, had placed an ad on Craigslist looking for a roommate who could cook and clean in exchange for free rent. After investigating, officers arrested Burgess for parole violation and felony possession of ammunition.
Authorities did not disclose what the women observed or what alarmed them when they met Burgess.
Burgess pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the 2007 death of 19-year-old Donna Jou. Burgess admitted to taking Jou to his house and giving her alcohol and drugs, which she overdosed on. He found her dead the next morning and in a panic dumped her body in the ocean. Her remains have never been found.
Burgess also met Jou through a Craigslist ad. She was a San Diego State University nursing student who was advertising math tutoring services. Jou's mother said she's relieved to hear that Burgess is behind bars again.
"The emotion was all happiness. I couldn't believe it when they told me. I couldn't control myself crying for being so happy that justice is going to be served, hopefully," said Nili Jou. "I'm hoping that justice is going to be served and he's back behind bars where he belongs. A person like him, he belongs behind bars forever. Don't let him out. Don't let such an animal out."
Burgess' neighbors say they didn't know him well but would see him in passing. One neighbor said Burgess had women over to his apartment almost every day.
Burgess is being held in a Hollywood jail without bail. Police said he will appear before a judge on Wednesday for the parole violation. From there, the parole division will determine what penalty he will face and if he will go back to prison.
