Wanted Polygamist and His 4 Wives Detained

An American polygamist who is accused of leading a cult and is wanted in the U.S. on pedophilia charges was arrested in Mexico with his four wives and a self-described concubine, the The Guardian reports.

Orson William Black was detained on Monday near the bordering state of Chihuahua after police started investigating a triple homicide of three Americans aged 15, 19 and 23 who were found dead at a ranch in September.

Black, 56, was arrested with his four wives and about 22 other Americans who were found without proper documents, including an undetermined number of minors, after eluding American authorities for 15 years.

In a joint investigation between Mexican police and the FBI, about 100 police officers descended on three houses and two ranch where Black and his followers had been living.

Mexican prosecutors identified the victims of the September triple homicide that occurred in the area only by their first names — Robert, Jesse and Michael — and suggested they may have all used the last name Black.

Prosecutors say the three victims may have been members of Black's religious cult. Black is a suspect in the investigation but has not been charged.

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Black has been wanted by authorities in Utah and Arizona for 15 years, according to FOX 13. A member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) based in Hildale, Ariz., authorities believed he fled to Mexico after being charged in Arizona with child sex crimes. The Mohave County Sheriff's Office confirmed to FOX 13 on Monday it had an active, extraditable warrant for Black on three counts of sexual conduct with a minor.

Authorities say they caught Black, who also goes by the name Larry William Black, in a two-day investigation in which they raided several different homes used in the sect's "commune."

During the searches, police said they located dozens of stuffed exotic animals including zebras, buffalos, a lion and a bear.

The Chihuahua State Attorney General's Office said Black was facing charges of human trafficking and possession of wildlife species.

FLDS openly advocates plural marriage, and its members commonly have legal marriages with their first wife and "spiritual marriages" with the other wives.

Photo Credit: Chihuahua State Attorney General's Office