OLYMPIA — A fugitive-turned-actor was arrested Friday after federal agents saw his photo in The Olympian.
Jason Stange, 44, played a leading role in the low-budget horror movie “Marla Mae,” which wrapped up filming last week in Olympia’s Wildwood Neighborhood. The Olympian ran a feature story Friday with photos that showed Stange on the film set.
The U.S. Marshal Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force tracked down Stange after he was recognized in the newspaper.
In 2006, Stange was sentenced to 117 months in prison after pleading guilty to an armed bank robbery. A federal probation violation warrant was issued in July 2014 after Stange walked away from a halfway house in the Spokane area, said Kayla Celaya of the U.S. Marshals Service in Washington’s Western District.
Agents found the Olympia filming location from a permit and arrested Stange at a nearby restaurant, she said.
Brandon Roberts, the film’s producer, called Stange a talented actor who was well-liked by the cast and crew. He said the film was rewritten to suit Stange, who had “really nailed the audition” and brought a different element to the role than what the film’s creators originally sought.
Filming had just ended, and everyone was checking out the article in Friday morning’s newspaper when Stange headed out in his costume to buy cigarettes, Roberts said. Agents arrested Stange and allowed him to return the costume to the filming location.
“Jason was a great guy,” said Roberts, who noted Stange’s professionalism during the filming. “Everyone really liked him a lot.”
“Marla Mae” is scheduled for release in 2016. Stange will remain in the full-length film, Roberts said. He plays the part of Dr. Lourdes, a Planned Parenthood physician who commits a deranged act, according to a film synopsis.
