Arrest affidavit reveals new details in Florida arrest of Ronald Exantus, convicted in Kentucky child killing
Watch the body camera video of Exantus' arrest
OCALA, Fla. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Newly obtained documents from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office reveal how deputies tracked down and arrested Ronald Exantus — the man found guilty but mentally ill in the 2015 killing of six-year-old Logan Tipton in Versailles — after he allegedly failed to register as a convicted felon in Florida.
According to an arrest affidavit filed by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, authorities began investigating Exantus on October 9, 2025, after learning that he had received a Florida driver’s license listing an address in Ocala on October 3. Detectives determined that Exantus was on supervised parole, which began just days earlier on October 6, with a supervision term scheduled through November 2035.
The affidavit states that Exantus was advised by a probation officer on October 6 that he was required to register as a convicted felon within 48 hours at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Documents signed by Exantus show he acknowledged that requirement. When he failed to appear within the required time, a detective wrote in the affidavit there was “probable cause for the arrest of suspect Exantus for failure to respond to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and register as a felon.”
The affidavit notes that Exantus’ Kentucky convictions — including second-degree assault — are considered felonies under Florida law. He was found “guilty but mentally ill” in 2018 for charges related to the fatal stabbing of six-year-old Logan Tipton during a home invasion in Woodford County.
Tipton’s killing shocked Kentucky residents in 2015 after investigators said Exantus broke into the family’s Versailles home at random, stabbing the sleeping child and injuring other family members. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but state records show he was released last week after serving less than half the sentence.
Exantus’ early release drew widespread outrage, including from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and the White House. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Thursday that his office and the Marion County State Attorney’s Office obtained the arrest warrant for failure to register as a convicted felon, calling Exantus a “dangerous individual” who needed to be returned to Kentucky.
Exantus remains in custody in Marion County as officials work with Kentucky authorities to determine next steps.
