Larry Pusateri, (aka Luis R. Archuleta and Ramon C. Montoya), is a convicted

felon A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resu ...

and former

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resident who was wanted by the FBI since 1977 following his escape from a Colorado prison. On August 5, 2020 he was arrested in

Española, New Mexico Española is a city primarily in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. A portion of the central and eastern section of the city is in Santa Fe County. Founded as a railroad village some distance from the old Indian town of San Juan de ...

after successfully evading law enforcement and living there for almost 47 years under the alias "Ramon C. Montoya".

Background

Pusateri was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He worked as a barber before embarking on a life of crime, which included burglary, robbery, and drug trafficking in both Mexico and the United States. FBI Wanted Poster of Luis Archuleta, fbi.gov

Criminal history

in 1971, Pusateri shot a Denver Police Officer named Daril Cinquanta, then fled to Mexico, where he was arrested by federal officials for drug trafficking. Pusateri was then extradited to the U.S. to face trial in Colorado and was sentenced to serve 9 years in prison for the crime. He subsequently escaped from Colorado prison. Prior to this offense, Pusateri previously escaped from a California prison. In March 1973, a Denver jury found him guilty of shooting Denver police officer Daril Cinquanta in the 4400 block of Mariposa Street. In 1974, Pusateri escaped while undergoing exams at a state hospital in Pueblo, Colorado. He and three other inmates held several correctional officers at gunpoint with a .38 caliber handgun and then stole a vehicle and escaped custody. Two of the inmates who escaped with Pusateri were eventually caught, but Pusateri evaded capture.

Living in New Mexico

After his successful escape from a Colorado prison, Pusateri settled in Espanola, New Mexico under the alias Ramon C. Montoya where he lived and evaded the authorities for 47 years. While living in New Mexico, Pusateri was arrested in 2011 for aggravated drunk driving and failure to stay in his lane in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. From that arrest, Law enforcement were able to provide Española police and the FBI with a photo, which eventually lead to his capture. Daril Cinquanta, the police officer who was shot by Pusateri in 1971, and who was working as a private detective at the time, tracked Pusateri to Espanola, New Mexico after receiving an anonymous tip on June 24, 2020 that Pusateri was living there under the alias Ramon C. Montoya. Cinquanta discovered that “Ramon Montoya” had been arrested in 2011 for a DWI in New Mexico. He subsequently contacted the Española police, who notified the FBI of Pusateri's whereabouts. FBI agents arrested Pusateri at his home in Española on Wednesday, August 5, 2020, after a coordinated investigation between the FBI and the Española Police Department. Little is known about what Pusateri had been doing for nearly 50 years in Española. Cinquanta said Pusateri had a fake Social Security card and a valid New Mexico driver’s license.

America's Most Wanted

Larry Pusateri had been featured on the television show ''

America's Most Wanted ''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American Television show, television program whose first run was produced by 20th Television, and second run is under the Fox Entertainment#Fox Alternative Entertainment, Fox Alter ...

'' on two occasions.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pusateri, Larry 1943 births American escapees Fugitives wanted by the United States Living people