Ms Pickering, who has a seven-year-old daughter, was last seen leaving her home in New Brighton on Monday evening.
She was thought to have been with Malcolm Chaston, also known as Maniapoto Walker, who was wanted in relation to a sexual assault on Monday.
However, Chaston was stopped about midday today in the Cheviot area north of Christchurch by police using road spikes.
Detective Senior Sergeant Virginia Le Bas said Chaston would be interviewed by police later today but at this stage it was not known whether he had information on where Ms Pickering could be found.
Chaston and Ms Pickering had met through a work association but it was not clear what their relationship had been.
She said Chaston would be appearing in Christchurch District Court tomorrow, but it was not yet clear what charges he would be facing.
About 60 police officers were today searching for Ms Pickering in the coastal area of Banks Peninsula.
Ms Le Bas said Ms Pickering did not have a cell phone, being "prone to lose them" and had not been in contact with her daughter or anyone else in her family.
