Adrian Cruz Still at Large; Officials Say Reports of His Capture Erroneous

Today, numerous local news outlets reported that convicted child rapist Adrian Cruz, who escaped from the less-than-competent MSCO at the Maricopa County Courthouse last year, had been arrested in Mexico. But before officials could even hold a press conference celebrating this supposed arrest, it turned out that officials in Mexico...

By Niki D'Andrea

February 9, 2010

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Today, numerous local news outlets reported that convicted child rapist Adrian Cruz, who escaped from the less-than-competent MSCO at the Maricopa County Courthouse last year, had been arrested in Mexico. But before officials could even hold a press conference celebrating this supposed arrest, it turned out that officials in Mexico had arrested the wrong guy. They didn't have Cruz in custody, after all.

Whoops!

U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Matt Hershey says Cruz has not been arrested in Mexico and remains at large.

Cruz, convicted of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl in 2005, is still out there somewhere. He was last seen on a surveillance video from February 17, 2009, calmly walking out of the Maricopa County Courthouse while sheriff's deputies -- who were supposed to be guarding him -- took a lunch break.

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Niki D'Andrea has covered subjects including drug culture, women's basketball, pirate radio stations, Scottsdale staycations, and fine wine. She has worked at both New Times and Phoenix Magazine, and is now a freelancer.

Contact: Niki D'Andrea