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 resul ...

and former

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

resident who was wanted by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

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 l ...

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. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York. 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'' on two occasions.

References

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