ORLANDO, Fla. – A Central Florida man accused of killing two teenagers in a drunk driving case has been arrested over a thousand miles away in Canada.
Patrick Lutts Jr. was apprehended in Toronto, where he had been living openly for decades.
A photo of Patrick Lutts Jr. from 2002 is still posted on the Crime Line website. According to documents obtained by News 6, Lutts Jr. was recently arrested in Toronto after evading Florida authorities for over 20 years.
The Florida Highway Patrol responded to a drunk-driving crash that killed two teens in Orlando on Christmas Day in 1998.
WATCH: News 6 speaks with the victim’s family following the arrest of Lutts Jr.
Lutts Jr. is charged in connection with the early-morning crash that claimed the lives of 19-year-old Nancy Lopez and her boyfriend, 18-year-old Darvin Javier DeJesus-Taboada. The crash occurred on John Young Parkway at the entrance ramp to the 528. He has not been seen in the United States for years.
The Canadian Broadcasting Company reports that Lutts Jr. was living in downtown Toronto as a self-styled psychic. An anonymous tip led police to his location, but it remains unclear how or when he entered Canada.
A copy of the Canadian extradition document states:
“In the matter of an application pursuant to section 16 of the extradition act for a warrant for the arrest of Patrick S. Lutts Jr. between the Attorney General of Canada on behalf of the United States of America... The Minister of Justice of Canada authorizes the Attorney General of Canada to proceed before the Superior Court of Justice to seek an order for the committal of Patrick S. Lutts Jr., who is sought for prosecution by the United States of America.”
“Still, I cry for her,” said Alberto Lopez, the older brother of victim Nancy Lopez. “She’s my baby sister, you know?”
Lopez spoke with News 6 on Thursday, taking a break from his work day in Nashville, Tennessee, to discuss the profound loss he and his family experienced 27 years ago.
“I pray every day for her,” Lopez said. “I think she’s with me every day.”
Lopez said he knew about Lutts’ arrest back in February, but had been skeptical that Lutts would ultimately be held accountable.
He told News 6 that our call to him Thursday made the situation feel “more real.”
“To take a life like that,” Lopez said. “It was like taking my life, too.”
News 6 reached out to the Florida Highway Patrol and the State Attorney’s office for comment, but has not yet received a response.
It’s believed authorities are working on extraditing Lutts Jr. back to Orlando to face DUI manslaughter charges, although no new hearings are set in the Orange County Courthouse. News 6 will continue to track this story for updates.