Central Florida Fugitive Caught After 20 Years, Linked to Teen Deaths

ORLANDO, Fla. – A man from Central Florida, accused of causing the deaths of two teenagers in a drunk driving incident, has been arrested in Canada, over a thousand miles from the scene of the crime.

Patrick Lutts Jr. was apprehended in Toronto, where he had been living openly for decades.

A 2002 picture of Patrick Lutts Jr. remains on the Crime Line website. Documents acquired by News 6 reveal that Lutts Jr. was recently apprehended in Toronto after avoiding Florida law enforcement for more than 20 years.

The Florida Highway Patrol responded to a drunk-driving crash that killed two teens in Orlando on Christmas Day in 1998.

He faces charges related to the early-morning collision that resulted in the deaths of 19-year-old Nancy Lopez and her boyfriend, 18-year-old Darvin Javier DeJesus-Taboada. The accident happened on John Young Parkway at the entrance ramp to the 528, and he hasn’t been seen in the U.S. for several years.

The Canadian Broadcasting Company reports that Lutts Jr. was living in downtown Toronto as a self-styled psychic. An anonymous tip led police to his location, but it remains unclear how or when he entered Canada.

A copy of the Canadian extradition document states:

“In the matter of an application pursuant to section 16 of the extradition act for a warrant for the arrest of Patrick S. Lutts Jr. between the Attorney General of Canada on behalf of the United States of America… The Minister of Justice of Canada authorizes the Attorney General of Canada to proceed before the Superior Court of Justice to seek an order for the committal of Patrick S. Lutts Jr., who is sought for prosecution by the United States of America.”

News 6 reached out to the Florida Highway Patrol and the State Attorney’s office for comment, but has not yet received a response.

It’s believed authorities are working on extraditing Lutts Jr. back to Orlando to face DUI manslaughter charges, although no new hearings are set in the Orange County Courthouse. News 6 will continue to track this story for updates.