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A man who spent more than two decades evading justice for a deadly Christmas Day crash in Florida has been arrested in Toronto.
Patrick Lutts Jr., now 51, was taken into custody by Toronto police on Feb. 26 by the TPS Fugitive Squad under a warrant issued through Canada’s Extradition Act. Lutts had been living in the city’s Church and Wellesley neighbourhood under the alias “Pat Lighthelp.”
The long-running case dates back to Dec. 25, 1998, when Lutts was allegedly driving drunk in Orlando around 5:50 a.m. after a night of drinking. Court documents say he attempted a left turn and crashed into a vehicle carrying Nancy Lopez and Darvin J. DeJesus-Taboada. Neither victim was wearing a seatbelt and both died of fatal head injuries after being ejected from the car.
A passing vehicle later struck Lutts and Lopez as he attempted to provide aid. Blood tests reportedly showed Lutts had a blood alcohol level of .272 — more than three times the legal limit.
Lutts was charged with two counts of DUI manslaughter in March 1999. Though arrested in 2002 in Connecticut and extradited to Florida, he skipped trial in October 2003 after posting bail, disappearing once again.
Court filings suggest he attempted to cross into Canada via Niagara Falls just days before his trial but was turned away. There is no official record of his legal entry into Canada.
His whereabouts remained unknown until an anonymous tip in late 2023 revealed he was living in Toronto.
Lutts made a brief court appearance Wednesday via video link from a local detention centre, wearing an orange jumpsuit. His extradition to the U.S. is now pending.
