Suspect in Killing of N.C. Police Chief's Daughter Arrested in New York

A convicted sex offender suspected of killing a North Carolina police chief's daughter was arrested Monday in New York.

The Niagara Falls Police Department confirmed to Fox News Radio that 34-year-old Michael Neal Harvey was taken into police custody Monday in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Harvey, who is originally from the area, is suspected of killing 23-year-old Valerie Hamilton of Concord, N.C. Hamilton's body was discovered over the weekend in a self-storage facility in Charlotte.

The woman's father, Concord police chief Merl Hamilton, had pleaded Monday for fellow law enforcement officers nationwide to help hunt down the man accused of killing his daughter.

"They took my daughter, guys. Play it right, play it by the rules, but y'all get out there and find this guy for me and when it comes back my way I'll pay you back," Hamilton said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police had issued an arrest warrant for Harvey after Hamilton's body was found at the Mini-Storage Center in southeast Charlotte on Saturday.

Police have not said what evidence led them to Harvey or the woman's body, the Charlotte Observer reports.

Harvey has a lengthy criminal past. In late 2006, Harvey was sentenced to three to six years in prison after being convicted of first-degree sexual abuse, a New York State Department of Correctional Services told FoxNews.com. He was then released on Nov. 27, 2000, after receiving credit for 305 days spent behind bars while awaiting trial.  He then violated his parole conditions in June 2001 and spent six additional months in prison.

His North Carolina criminal record includes failing to register as a sex offender and felony breaking-and-entering.

Investigators searched Hamilton's apartment and the neighborhood around the restaurant over the weekend for any potential clues in the case.

The T.V. show "America's Most Wanted" also joined in the search for Harvey, posting details about the case on its website.

Harvey was believed to driving a stolen a white 1996 Chevrolet Blazer with North Carolina tag ZXE-1756, according to investigators.

Hamilton, a college student and part-time swim teacher, was reportedly last seen on security video leaving the Thomas Street Tavern in Charlotte with a man early Wednesday morning. Police said they think Harvey is the man pictured on the surveillance tape.

Detectives interviewed guests at an east Charlotte hotel Saturday evening and Harvey's home in northern Mecklenburg County was searched Saturday. Harvey was raised in the Niagara Falls area but had reportedly been living in North Carolina for several years.

Harvey's mother and sister told WKBW-TV in Buffalo, N.Y., that they believed he was innocent in the killing.

Click here to read more on this story from FoxCharlotte.com

Click here to read more on this story from the Charlotte Observer

Fox News' Jonathan Serrie and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Harvey was convicted of rape in New York, as was reported by the Associated Press. Harvey was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse.