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CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
U.S. fugitive psychic says it was 'a mistake' to flee to Toronto for 21 years
A longtime fugitive wanted for manslaughter in Florida admits it was "a mistake" to flee to Toronto, where he was recently arrested after spending more than 21 years on the run. In a sworn affidavit obtained by CBC News, Patrick Lutts Jr. publicly outlines for the first time how he hid from U.S. authorities after his involvement in a drunk-driving crash in Orlando, Fla., that killed two teens. Lutts has no passport, he said, no Canadian bank account and had stayed in the same apartment in Toronto's Church and Wellesley neighbourhood since 2004. A CBC investigation revealed earlier this month that Lutts, 51, lived openly in Toronto after skipping a plea hearing in a Florida court in 2003. With a warrant out for his arrest, Lutts hosted monthly trivia nights at a local bar and — under the alias Pat Lighthelp — provided relationship advice to clients as an online psychic. "I thought that authorities would be able to find me as I stayed in the same place in Toronto for over 20 years," Lutts wrote. "That day just never came until now, but I am tired of running." The affidavit, dated March 25, was filed in Ontario Superior Court as Lutts asked to be released on bail, pending extradition to Florida. A judge later denied his request, and Lutts remains in custody in a Toronto jail. His arrest in February by the Toronto Police Service fugitive squad came after a Crime Stoppers-type service in Florida received an anonymous tip about his whereabouts in November 2023. The tip appears to have come from a U.S.-based internet sleuth who claims to have used facial recognition technology and social media clues to track Lutts to Toronto. According to court records, Lutts faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted on the two counts of DUI manslaughter. The charges stem from an early morning crash on Christmas Day 1998 that killed 19-year-old Nancy Lopez and her boyfriend, Darvin Javier DeJesus-Taboada, 18. Investigators said Lutts, whose truck smashed into the vehicle carrying the two teens, had a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit and a "strong odour of alcohol coming from his breath." "I know the allegations against me are extremely serious," Lutts said in the affidavit, describing the crash as "the vehicular accident I was involved in." Lutts said he "was never personally contacted or approached by authorities" about the Florida charges laid in March 1999 until his arrest for another impaired-driving incident in Connecticut in 2002. The following year, Lutts, a U.S. citizen, admits he fled to Canada instead of attending his plea hearing set for Oct. 1, 2003. "At the time, a passport was not required" to cross the border, Lutts wrote. It's unclear how exactly Lutts entered the country. According to Ontario court files, he has no legal immigration status and Canada Border Services Agency has no record of his entry. Lutts tried to cross at a Niagara Falls, Ont., port of entry on Sept. 29, 2003 — two days before that key court hearing — but was turned away due to the criminal charges in Florida, according to a police affidavit. Still, Lutts recounts settling in Toronto that year and meeting his longtime partner in 2004. Within months, Lutts says he moved into his partner's apartment, where Toronto police placed him under surveillance in December 2023. Lutts says he used his real name to open a Fido cell phone account and a post office box. Still, he said, "leaving for Canada and not facing the Florida charge was a mistake." Lutts remains a flight risk: prosecutor In a letter included in Lutts's Ontario court file, a senior Florida prosecutor asked in March that Canadian authorities deny bail to the longstanding fugitive. "Mr. Lutts has already demonstrated that he is a flight risk and will flee if granted release," Assistant State Attorney Brian C. Hagner wrote. "By fleeing to Canada, Mr. Lutts has demonstrated the lengths to which he will go to avoid answering for the crimes with which he has been charged." Lutts's affidavit said the opposite: he insisted he can't flee stateside — where his family lives — because "I know I would immediately be arrested." Plus, "I cannot flee anywhere because I have no passport." Public social media posts in recent years, however, suggest Lutts moved freely within Canada, including multiple ski trips to Whistler, B.C. Lutts pledged to remain on house arrest at his home in Toronto and wear an ankle monitor that could track him via a global positioning system if released on bail. The judge's reasons for denying him bail are not listed in the court file. Canadian courts weigh a series of factors when considering whether to release an accused, including whether they will show up for scheduled hearings and whether their release would undermine confidence in the justice system. 'He's no longer running free:' victim's family Lutts appeared twice this week in a downtown Toronto court by videolink from jail. His case is scheduled to return in June. No date has been set for a formal extradition hearing. Ralph Anthony Cordero, whose stepsister died in the 1998 crash, watched a live video feed Wednesday morning from his home in Washington state. "It was very pleasing to see that he's no longer running free," Cordero told CBC after Lutts appeared on screen, wearing orange jail garb. Cordero said his family never lost hope that Lutts would be found, even after more than two decades on the lam. "The motivator" for Lopez's loved ones, Cordero said, "was to ensure that this guy does not die before we get our hands on him."
CTV News
28-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Florida man charged in 1998 crash that killed 2 arrested in Toronto
A man charged in a 1998 Christmas Day car crash in Orlando that killed two people has been arrested in Toronto after evading police south of the border for more than 20 years. Toronto police confirmed to CTV News Toronto that former Orlando resident Patrick Lutts Jr. was taken into custody by the TPS Fugitive Squad on Feb. 26 on the strength of an arrest warrant issued under the Canadian Extradition Act. On Dec. 25, 1998, court documents state that the 51-year-old was driving his car in Orlando at approximately 5:50 a.m. after a night of drinking with friends. As Lutts attempted to make a left turn, the documents allege that he struck a vehicle that was being driven by Nancy Lopez and carrying Darvin J. DeJesus-Taboada. Both were unrestrained at the time of impact and ejected from the vehicle. Court documents indicate they both suffered fatal head injuries following the crash. A passing car that was attempting to avoid the debris then struck Lutts and Lopez as he tried to 'render aide' to her, according to an extradition application filed in Ontario Superior Court. It is alleged that Lutts had a blood-alcohol level of .272 at the time of his arrest, a charging affidavit notes. Lutts was charged with two counts of DUI manslaughter on March 23, 1999 and a warrant was issued for his arrest. However, U.S. authorities couldn't locate him and he remained at large until June 27, 2002 when he was arrested in Manchester, Connecticut. He was extradited back to Florida and pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charges. The Texas-born defendant posted a US$5,000 bail bond and was scheduled to stand trial on Oct. 1, 2003. However, Lutts failed to attend the court date, and his bond was forfeited, court records show. While it's unclear how and when Lutts made his way into Canada, the extradition application suggests that he attempted to cross the border through Niagara Falls on Sept. 29, 2003 -- two days before his trial in Orlando -- but was turned away. Canada Border Services Agency has no record of Lutts ever entering Canada, the court documents show. In the court filing, a Toronto detective said that Lutts' whereabouts remained unknown until an anonymous tip was received in November 2023. From there, police were able to determine that he was living in the city's Church and Wellesley neighbourhood and going by the alias 'Pat Lighthelp.' On Wednesday morning, Lutts, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, attended a brief court appearance in Toronto via video from a local detention centre. CTV News Toronto has reached out to office of the state prosecutor in Florida for more information but has not received a response.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Florida man charged in 1998 crash that killed 2 arrested in Toronto
A man charged in a 1998 Christmas Day car crash in Orlando that killed two people has been arrested in Toronto after evading police south of the border for more than 20 years. Toronto police confirmed to CTV News Toronto that former Orlando resident Patrick Lutts Jr. was taken into custody by the TPS Fugitive Squad on Feb. 26 on the strength of an arrest warrant issued under the Canadian Extradition Act. On Dec. 25, 1998, court documents state that Lutts was driving his car in Orlando at approximately 5:50 a.m. after a night of drinking with friends. As Lutts attempted to make a left turn, the documents allege that he struck a vehicle that was being driven by Nancy Lopez and carrying Darvin J. DeJesus-Taboada. Both were unrestrained at the time of impact and ejected from the vehicle. Court documents indicate they both suffered fatal head injuries following the crash. It is alleged that Lutts had a blood-alcohol level of .272 at the time of his arrest, a charging affidavit notes. He was charged with two counts of DUI manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty and posted a $5,000 bail bond and was scheduled to stand trial on Oct. 1, 2003. However, Lutts failed to attend the court date, and his bond was forfeited, court records show. It's unclear how and when Lutts made his way into Canada, as well as what led Toronto police to his whereabouts. CTV News Toronto has reached out to office of the state prosecutor in Florida for more information but has not received a response. On Wednesday morning, Lutts, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, attended a brief court appearance in Toronto via video from a local detention centre. CTV News Toronto has requested comment from Lutts' lawyer.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Driver in deadly 1998 Christmas DUI crash found over 20 years later in Canada
Recently, a source within CBC News in Toronto reached out with information regarding a story we brought to your attention in 2014. Patrick Lutts, a man charged in the killing of two 19-year-olds in a DUI crash that occurred on Christmas Day 1998, has been found after over 20 years. Lutts initially skipped out on the initial plea hearing that was set for him in 2003, after he was arrested in Connecticut for another DUI crash. He was shipped back to Orlando, where he posted his original bond amount of $5k, which was less than the state recommended amount, which was twice as much for DUI manslaughter. Lutts signed a plea deal that included 10 years in prison for the charges, but he failed to attend his hearing. Since then, Channel 9's Daralene Jones learned that the state attorney's office accidentally destroyed the Lutts case file. Making it hard for prosecutors to win a case against him in court. In recent events, Lutts was finally located again, but this time in Canada. He was set for a court hearing today, and will have another tomorrow at 10 am. His extradition hearing is currently scheduled for June 11th. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
CBC
28-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
How a tipster tracked a U.S. fugitive 'psychic' to Toronto after a 21-year search
It was an internet sleuth — claiming to have used facial recognition technology and social media clues — who pointed authorities to the whereabouts of a longtime U.S. fugitive leading a double life in Ontario. CBC News has pieced together new details about the anonymous tip that led Toronto police earlier this year to apprehend Patrick Lutts Jr., more than two decades after he skipped a Florida court hearing on manslaughter charges and vanished. A CBC investigation recently revealed Lutts, 51, had been openly living in the city for years, hosting a monthly bar trivia night and working as a self-styled psychic, all while evading U.S. authorities. Court records show the Texas-born Lutts was charged in March 1999 with DUI manslaughter in connection with an early-morning crash in Orlando that killed two teens. He was scheduled to enter a plea in October 2003 but disappeared, until his arrest by the Toronto Police Service fugitive squad this past February. Lutts is set to appear in an Ontario court on Wednesday. He faces extradition to Florida and has not responded to the allegations since his arrest. It isn't clear how or when he arrived in Canada, and the border agency doesn't have records of his entry. He has no legal status in the country, according to Ontario court files. "It's been a rollercoaster of emotions," said Jorge Leon, whose cousin Nancy Lopez was killed in the collision in Orlando on Christmas Day 1998. Investigators said Lutts had spent the previous night drinking and slammed his truck into the vehicle carrying Lopez, 19, and her 18-year-old boyfriend Darvin Javier DeJesus-Taboada. The couple was killed on impact. "You just left," Leon said of Lutts's years on the run. "You were a coward." 'I find fugitives and have found several before' In 2019, Leon said he created a Facebook page dedicated to Lutts in hopes of drawing attention to the case. Then, in April 2024, came the message that changed everything. "Hello," the anonymous note read. "I need to talk to you about Patrick Lutts." What followed was an avalanche of new information — CBC has managed to confirm much of it — about the fugitive's whereabouts, the Toronto bar where he worked as a quizmaster and the alias he was using online: Pat Lighthelp. "I found him with facial recognition," the tipster wrote, while sharing pictures from Lutts's Facebook profile. Leon said the person didn't reveal their gender or real name, but said they lived in the U.S. and had already reported the findings to a crime tip line. "I find fugitives and have found several before," the tipster wrote in the series of messages reviewed by CBC. The person said they had started looking into Lutts after seeing him featured in an online forum for fans of the TV show America's Most Wanted. "We're finally getting justice," Leon, the victim's cousin, said in an interview. "And it's because of this person." A summary of Florida prosecutors' evidence in the case, filed in Ontario Superior Court as part of extradition proceedings, confirms investigators first got wind of Lutts's location from an anonymous tip in November 2023. The tipster told Leon they had already reached out to authorities that same month. Toronto police later tracked the fugitive to an apartment building in the city's Church and Wellesley area. Fugitive was active online Until his arrest in February, Lutts offered clients relationship advice and life coaching online under his Pat Lighthelp alias. His profile disappeared from the New Zealand-based "psychic reading" platform LifeReader earlier this month after CBC asked the company about its knowledge of Lutts's past. LifeReader did not respond to requests for comment. Online posts show Lutts also hosted a monthly horror-themed trivia night at a Toronto bar. "Congratulations to the winners and we look forward to seeing all of you [in] 2025!" Lutts said in an online post in December. While the tipster suggested they scoured social media for clues, the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Florida declined to discuss what investigative steps had been taken over the years to locate Lutts. "There would have been a warrant issued, and any law enforcement agency would have been able to find the warrant in the system," a spokesperson said in an email. Kenneth Gray, a former FBI special agent who now teaches criminal justice at Connecticut's University of New Haven, said it's common for an anonymous tip to prove crucial in the search for a fugitive. Otherwise, he said, suspects not featured on a most-wanted list may remain on the run indefinitely. "Unless you come into contact with law enforcement somehow, or try to fly on an aircraft or try to cross the border, it's possible to remain hidden from law enforcement somewhat successfully," Gray said. Ryan Hittel, a lawyer representing Nancy Lopez's mother Nelida Cordero, said in a statement that Cordero is "extremely grateful for the efforts of American and Canadian law enforcement — and for the help of the anonymous tipster — which have resulted in the capture of Patrick Lutts Jr." This past February, Lopez's cousin Jorge Leon wrote to the internet sleuth to share news of Lutts's arrest. The message was never delivered. An automatic response said the user had already closed their Facebook account. Leon said he only wishes he could thank the tipster. "He or she would definitely get a hug from me, my aunt [Nelida], the whole family," he said.
