U.S. marshals capture fugitive on wanted list in California

(News Today) - A cop killer and child molester who has been on the U.S. Marshals Service's 15 most-wanted fugitive list for nearly four years was captured early Wednesday, authorities said.

Paul Clouston, 73, was taken into custody at a men's group home in Merced, California, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Kevin Connolly.

Agents with the fugitive task force "observed a man resembling Clouston seated in a chair and reading a newspaper," said the Marshals Service in a statement.

"He provided a false name three times before he said, 'I'm Paul Clouston and I'm tired of running,' " Connolly told CNN.

"We always say we go after the worst of the worst, and it doesn't get much worse than this type of predator, " Connolly added. "We're happy he's off the streets."

Connolly said a viewer tip to the TV program "America's Most Wanted" led agents to the killer.

Clouston murdered a police detective in Buena Park, California, in 1972. He was convicted a year later. After serving 10 years in prison for the slaying, Clouston was released in 1982.

In 1991, he was indicted on 17 counts of sexually abusing children in the Williamsburg, Virginia, area, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Clouston pleaded guilty to the charges and was sent back to prison. He was paroled in 2005 but was placed on the fugitive list after he failed to register as a convicted sexual offender in Virginia.

"The capture of Paul Clouston is a testament to the effectiveness of our 15 most wanted list and the partnerships we maintain with other law enforcement agencies," said John F. Clark, director of the U.S. Marshals Service in a statement. "It also speaks volumes to the value of someone doing the right thing and reporting a suspicious individual."

Source : CNN

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