An escapee who had been on the run for 46 years was arrested by the same police officer he had shot nearly five decades ago.
77-year-old Luis Archuleta escaped from a prison in Colorado back in 1974 while serving time for shooting police officer Daril Cinquanta three years earlier.
Following his escape from prison, Archuleta had managed to stay off the radar for nearly five decades before the cop he had shot back in 1971 finally caught him.
According to the FBI, the fugitive, who took on the alias Ramon Montoya, was living in New Mexico’s Espanola for four decades.
While years passed by, Cinquanta never forgot about the runaway and remained determined to bring him to justice.
As the man, who retired in 1990, explained in an interview with FOX31, hunting the fugitive was “like a hobby” to him.
“I have never given up on him. It just shows you: persistence does pay off,” he said.
“I was cold calling people and bad guys, I went to their homes, I went to their families, and most of the reception was not warm.”
Finally, in June 2020, the former officer’s efforts paid off as his informant provided him with the details leading to the fugitive’s arrest.
“He’s been wanted 46 years for that and I’ve been working on him 46 years and I found him. Wonderful. I’ve gotten calls from all over from policemen and stuff who thinks it’s phenomenal,” Cinquanta added.
According to the reports, Archuleta will now be sent back to Colorado where he will face charges resulting from his prison break in 1974.
Replaced!