A Canadian fugitive wanted for more than three decades in connection with the sexual assault of a child has been arrested in Santa Cruz, California. Charles Peter Billone, 64, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations office in San Francisco.
Billone has been a fugitive since 1991, when he was accused of two counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual interference in Canada. According to reports, he was released on a promise to appear in court but failed to do so, subsequently disappearing.
Canadian authorities had long struggled to locate Billone, with investigators in 2014 expressing doubt about ever finding him. At the time, then-Hamilton Police Detective Paul Henderson told media outlets that investigators believed Billone had changed his identity and could no longer be traced through traditional methods. Police had suspected he might be living in Canada, with family connections in Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Hamilton.
ICE officials also indicated that Billone has previous convictions for stolen property, assault, and drug offenses. He is currently in ICE custody as authorities work to remove him from the United States. The arrest concludes a manhunt that spanned over 30 years.