The Fugitive Watch Captures of 2008
Published by Marc Hinch on January 13, 2009
San Jose, CA
Since 1992, Fugitive Watch and its viewers have assisted in the capture of over 1000 wanted criminal suspects. 2008 was no different with the capture of murder suspects, child molesters and burglars all brought to justice with the help of Fugitive Watch.
FEBRUARY 2008 – ID# 07-121 – Convicted Rapist Caught at Elementary School
In February, Fugitive Watch was proud to announce that a convicted rapist had been captured after absconding parole supervision and being featured on Fugitive Watch. Saily Mohamed Nguyen was recognized by an alert student at George Leyva Elementary School in east San Jose who then reported it to a school teacher. The teacher checked the Fugitive Watch web site, and when she saw Nguyen’s photograph she immediately called the police. When police arrived, they found Nguyen watching an after school girls volley ball game. According to police, Nguyen tried to convince the officers that they had the wrong man until officers showed him his very own picture from the Fugitive Watch Newspaper.
The California Department of Corrections reported that Nguyen was released on parole after being convicted of Rape and was considered a High Control Parolee. He then absconded parole supervision and failed to register as a sex offender. According to the Department of Homeland Security he was not to re-enter the country without permission. Nguyen had been at large for over a year when he was finally arrested.
APRIL 2008 – ID# 08-076 – Stabbing Suspect Turns Himself in After Seeing Photo on Fugitive Watch
In April we announce that a man suspected of a gang related attempted murder and robbery had surrendered to San Jose police after seeing himself in the Fugitive Watch Newspaper.
18 year old Jesse Vigil, used his cell phone and called the Fugitive Watch Hotline at 1-800-9-CAUGHT at about 1:30 am on March 30th. He told Fugitive Watch Executive Producer Steve Ferdin that he saw his photograph on the Fugitive Watch Web Site and in our most recent newspaper and wanted to turn himself in. Ferdin made arrangements for Vigil’s safe arrest at his home.
San Jose Police Detectives allege that on November 14th, 2007 at about 12:30 am, a then unknown suspect followed the victim off a Light Rail train at the Capitol and Narvaez Station. According to witnesses, the suspect grabbed the victim from behind and stabbed him in the back. He then repeatedly kicked the victim in the face until the victim went unconscious. The suspect then took the victim’s sport shoes and then pushed him onto the tracks. The victim remained unconscious in a coma for a week fighting for his life. The attacker identity was not known but police had a surveillance video of the suspect. Fugitive Watch featured the surveillance photo and within a week Vigil saw himself and surrendered. As of January 2009, Vigil is still in custody and is awaiting trail.
May 2008 – ID# 08-006 – The Most Seen Video to Date
Early in 2008 we featured a suspect wanted in one of the most shocking videos ever shown on Fugitive Watch. The YouTube version of the video has been view over 151,000 times. In the video, two alleged gang members allegedly stab a 7-11 store clerk multiple times. One suspect had already been identified and arrested, and Fugitive Watch was asked to feature the second suspect. San Jose Police Detectives submitted a camera phone photograph of who they thought the second suspect might be.
The suspect was identified as Rual Arredondo and arrested. Text messages from the Arredondo bragged that he was featured in the Fugitive Watch Newspaper. As of January 2009, Arredondo and the other suspect, Michael Duran, are in custody and are awaiting trail in San Jose for Attempted Murder.
May 2008 – ID# 08-270 – Jail Escapee Arrested after Fugitive Watch Tip
On Sunday May 11th 2008 Fugitive Watch received a tip that a jail escapee was hiding out at a home in the 400 block of North 10th Street in San Jose. Based on our information, San Jose police officers responded to the house and located Cristina Martinez and a male companion hiding out in a back bedroom. After several minutes of ordering them to surrender, Martinez and her friend walked out saying they had the wrong person. Martinez finally admitted her true name and was arrested on a warrant charging her with jail escape. She was also found to be in possession of illegal drugs and charged with a new crime. When the officers questioned her male companion they found out that he was also a fugitive being sought on warrants charging him with narcotic violations.
September 2008 – ID# 07-208 – Burglary Suspect Identified from Video
Back in 2007, Fugitive Watch featured a video of suspects breaking into coin operated laundry machines at a hotel in Los Altos. The suspects returned on several occasions and were caught on video. In September of 2008, an anonymous tip identified the male in the video as Byron Specat of Morgan Hill. Los Altos police were able to obtain a warrant for Specat and arrested him for several accounts of burglary. Newspaper reports show that Specat was arrested for a similar offense in 2006 in Morgan Hill. The Los Altos Police would like to still identify the female in these videos.
September 2008 – ID# 08-294 – Alleged Sex Offender Caught When Shown on TV Show
In July 2008, Fugitive Watch featured video and a sketch of an unknown alleged sex offender as he exposed himself to a young male victim at a mall in San Jose. Showing the video paid off and a viewer relayed the name of the suspect to Fugitive Watch. The information was passed along to San Jose Police Detectives who obtained a $50,000 warrant for the suspect identified as Elias Diaz of San Jose. Diaz had since been sent to San Quentin on an unrelated parole violation after the incident at the mall, and was then brought back to San Jose to face the new charges.
Watch the original Fugitive Watch TV video below
December 2008 – ID# 04-059 – Murder Suspect Surrenders After Seeing Himself in FW Newspaper
On December 1st , 2008 Fugitive Watch announced that Ricardo Esquivel surrendered to authorities at the US/Mexican border after being featured recently on Fugitive Watch. Police received information that Esquivel had fled San Jose after seeing himself in the December issue of the Fugitive Watch Newspaper. He was going to attempt to flee the US but decided to surrender at the border. The San Jose Police Department was seeking Esquivel on a one million dollar warrant charging him with Murder. Detective William Hoyt reports that on Nov 3 2003, Esquivel allegedly stabbed Raul Curiel to death at a downtown nightclub in the 400 block of South 1st Street.
Fugitive Watch will continue its partnership with law enforcement and Fugitive Watch Viewers in 2009, and in the years to come. If you have information about any subject listed on Fugitive Watch TV, Fugitive.com or our Fugitive Watch Newspaper, please call our hot line at 1-800-9-Caught or leave a tip on our website tip form.
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