California officers captured a fugitive who escaped from a Hawaiin prison and had managed to stay under the radar for four years by using aliases.
Tyler Adams, 51, was captured on November 30 by the Anaheim Police Department in Newport Beach, California.
Called a “master of disguise” by the FBI, Adams, who was born Kevin Schoolcraft, has used several aliases to avoid capture, which include Aaron Lee, David Smith, Dominic Braun, David Phillips, Kevin Kennedy, Michael Whitman, Lance Irwin, Brice Johnson, Matthew Kashani, Taylor Chase, and Joshua Smith.
According to Hawaiian officials, a warrant was issued in September 2020 after he left the Oahu Community Correctional Center on a work furlough on May 21, 2019, from which he never returned.
“Clearly something went wrong” with the transfer, but “the focus now should be on getting him picked up and into custody,” said FBI spokesperson Bill McNamara in 2022.
Adams was serving time for stealing $130,000 from Hawaiian banks and a ring from Costco worth $5,000. Before that, he served a seven-year prison sentence in San Diego for using his parents’ identities to rack up more than $3 million in debt.
'Master of Disguise' Tyler Adams is arrested in California after four-year manhunt https://t.co/IU4Qc8Byyt pic.twitter.com/RQHJ9ZziyO
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) December 28, 2023
Adams was also detained in Mexico after an Amber Alert was issued for his 7-month-old daughter, Valentina, who was later found safe with a babysitter. The same could not be said for her mother, Racquel Sabean, who was dating Adams at the time. The Navy veteran’s remains were found in Tijuana in the trunk of a car on May 31, 2022. Adams is the prime suspect.
'Master of Disguise' Tyler Adams is arrested in California after four-year manhunt: Serial fraudster is a suspect in girlfriend's death in Mexico
Fugitive felon Tyler Adams, 51, was arrested by federal authorities in California
He is a self-proclaimed 'master of disguise' who… pic.twitter.com/zaWv1V06Uq— News News News (@NewsNew97351204) December 28, 2023
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Adams faces several charges, including grand theft, fraud using fake identities, a fugitive warrant out of Hawaii, and federal warrants for making false statements and falsifying identification documents.
Adams pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor grand theft and fraud charges on December 11 and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. He is due in court again on January 3, 2024, related to his fugitive status.
He is scheduled for deportation back to Hawaii.
