Miley Cyrus homeless MTV VMAs date Jesse Helt turns himself in to police

Helt was booked in by duty officers at the Polk County Jail in Dallas just before 8pm after he walked himself into the station

Jenn Selby
Friday 29 August 2014 11:48 BST
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Jesse Helt, the homeless young person Miley Cyrus recruited to collect her Video of the Year award at the MTV VMAs on Sunday (24 August), has turned himself into police.

He was formally arrested on Thursday night (28 August) for violating the conditions of his probation.

Helt was booked in by duty officers at the Polk County Jail in Dallas just before 8pm after he walked himself into the station.

He had successfully managed to avoid arrest for three years, living homeless on the streets of Los Angeles, before he very publicly attended the awards show in Los Angeles with one of the biggest pop singers in the world.

The 22-year-old is expected to post a $2500 bail and to be released.

"He turned himself in and was arrested, we expect a court date in two weeks," Martin Silbernagel, Polk County Director of Community Corrections, told the Mail Online.

Helt was arrested on charges of criminal mischief, criminal trespass and burglary in 2010. According to court records, he broke into the apartment of a man who had been selling what Helt believed to be bad marijuana.

Then aged 18, Helt pleaded guilty to criminal mischief and criminal trespass and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and probation. The arrest warrant was issued in November 2011 after he violated a probation order.

He moved to Los Angeles and lived on the streets while searching for work as a model. He met Cyrus through the Hollywood homeless centre Mr Friend's Place. At the VMAs, Jimmy Fallon held the microphone out for him to explain how viewers could donate to the centre.

"I hope that this can be the start of a national conversation about youth homelessness and how to end it," Miley said on Wednesday 27 August. "Does looking down upon the homeless help people excuse their inaction?"

"The media never fails to disappoint. You've chosen to go after Jesse instead of covering the issue of youth homelessness."

Helt’s mother, Linda Helt, told reporters on Monday that Cyrus had given her son some money and he was flying home to visit.

However, he was not located at the Salem family home on Tuesday when officers visited.

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