John Panaligan, one of the 15 most wanted fugitives by the U.S. Marshals Service, was arrested in Mexico after a search that lasted four years.
Panaligan was arrested in the city of Tepic, Nayarit, on October 21 and the next day he was handed over to immigration authorities for his respective deportation to the United States, where he is accused of the crime of homicide.
The Attorney General’s Office of the State of Nayarit reported that his arrest was made thanks to the intelligence work that was carried out in coordination with the U.S. Marshals. His arrest was carried out by Criminal Investigation agents.
John Panaligan has American nationality but was born in the Philippines on October 20, 1966, which makes him currently 58 years old. He is wanted in the state of Illinois for the murder of attorney Victor Jigar Patel, committed on December 7, 2016.
That year, Patel was acting as a representative of some people who sued Panaligan in a civil court (the reason was not detailed). To commit the crime, the now detained man used an alias to schedule an appointment with the 36-year-old attorney at his office, located in Northbrook.
The sheriff’s reports indicate that Panaligan appeared before the attorney in a disguise, which was captured by security cameras, and subsequently strangled him to death in his office.
Two days later, the Filipino was arrested at the Canadian border, after having smuggled a firearm. When he returned to the United States, he was questioned by personnel from the Northbrook Police regarding Patel’s death.
After serving search warrants on Panaligan’s properties, the authorities determined his alleged involvement in the crime. However, when they wanted to arrest him, the individual had already fled to Mexico.
For this reason, on February 8, 2017, an arrest warrant was issued against him for first-degree murder. In addition, on November 23, 2020, the Customs Service included him on its list of the “15 most wanted fugitives” and a reward of up to USD 25 thousand was offered for information leading to his capture.
Upon his arrest, the director of the Marshals Service, Ronald L. Davis, thanked the Mexican authorities for carrying out the arrest of Panaligan, who will be presented at the Northbrook Police Department to face the process for which he is required.
“I want to express my thanks and gratitude to the men and women of the Marshals Service, as well as to the officials of the Government of Mexico (…) I hope this arrest brings some comfort to the Patel family and serves as a stark reminder to fugitives from justice that there is no place to hide,” said Ronald L. Davis.
The “15 Most Wanted Fugitives” program was created in 1983 and is part of the United States Information Service (USMS). Its list can include sex offenders, drug traffickers, organized crime operators and people wanted for financial crimes.
Source: infobae
