California

Florida Man Arrested After 26 Years of Hiding in Mexico

Earl Jay Slaton disappeared after a warrant was issued for his arrest in 1990, authorities said

What to Know

  • Earl Jay Slaton disappeared after a warrant was issued for his arrest in 1990, authorities said
  • Slaton had been living with his new wife in a small village in the remote Nayarit region of Mexico
  • Slaton faces charges of sexual battery on a victim under 18 and aggravated child abuse in Florida

A 72-year-old man who spent 26 years on the run in Mexico after he fled sexual battery and aggravated child abuse charges in southwest Florida has been arrested, authorities said.

Earl Jay Slaton, who disappeared after a warrant was issued for his arrest in 1990, was extradited back to Lee County from California on Sunday, sheriff's officials said.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office, working with the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force, discovered that Slaton had been living with his new wife in a small village in the remote Nayarit region of Mexico, some 400 miles west of Mexico City, officials said. His family had no contact with him since the alleged crime.

After Slaton was found, the Mexican government deported him to Los Angeles due to his illegal entry into their country, officials said.

Slaton, who faces charges of sexual battery on a victim under 18 and aggravated child abuse, remained behind bars without bond Monday, jail records showed. Attorney information wasn't available.

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