U.S. fugitive psychic says it was 'a mistake' to flee to Toronto for 21 years

Thomas Daigle · CBC News

· Posted: May 31, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

A longtime fugitive wanted for manslaughter successful Florida admits it was "a mistake" to fly to Toronto, wherever helium was precocious arrested aft spending much than 21 years connected the run. 

In a sworn affidavit obtained by CBC News, Patrick Lutts Jr. publically outlines for the archetypal clip however helium hid from U.S. authorities aft his engagement successful a drunk-driving clang successful Orlando, Fla., that killed 2 teens.

Lutts has nary passport, helium said, nary Canadian slope relationship and had stayed successful the aforesaid flat successful Toronto's Church and Wellesley neighbourhood since 2004. 

A CBC investigation revealed earlier this period that Lutts, 51, lived openly successful Toronto aft skipping a plea proceeding successful a Florida tribunal successful 2003. With a warrant retired for his arrest, Lutts hosted monthly trivia nights astatine a section barroom and — nether the alias Pat Lighthelp — provided narration proposal to clients arsenic an online psychic.

"I thought that authorities would beryllium capable to find maine arsenic I stayed successful the aforesaid spot successful Toronto for implicit 20 years," Lutts wrote. "That time conscionable ne'er came until now, but I americium bushed of running."

The affidavit, dated March 25, was filed successful Ontario Superior Court arsenic Lutts asked to beryllium released connected bail, pending extradition to Florida. A justice aboriginal denied his request, and Lutts remains successful custody successful a Toronto jail.

His apprehension successful February by the Toronto Police Service fugitive squad came aft a Crime Stoppers-type work successful Florida received an anonymous extremity astir his whereabouts successful November 2023. The extremity appears to person travel from a U.S.-based net sleuth who claims to person utilized facial designation exertion and societal media clues to way Lutts to Toronto.

According to tribunal records, Lutts faces up to 30 years successful situation if convicted connected the 2 counts of DUI manslaughter. The charges stem from an aboriginal greeting clang connected Christmas Day 1998 that killed 19-year-old Nancy Lopez and her boyfriend, Darvin Javier DeJesus-Taboada, 18.

Investigators said Lutts, whose motortruck smashed into the conveyance carrying the 2 teens, had a blood-alcohol level much than 3 times the ineligible bounds and a "strong odour of intoxicant coming from his breath."

"I cognize the allegations against maine are highly serious," Lutts said successful the affidavit, describing the clang arsenic "the vehicular mishap I was progressive in."

Lutts said helium "was ne'er personally contacted oregon approached by authorities" astir the Florida charges laid successful March 1999 until his apprehension for different impaired-driving incidental successful Connecticut successful 2002.

The pursuing year, Lutts, a U.S. citizen, admits helium fled to Canada alternatively of attending his plea proceeding acceptable for Oct. 1, 2003. 

"At the time, a passport was not required" to transverse the border, Lutts wrote.

It's unclear however precisely Lutts entered the country. According to Ontario tribunal files, helium has nary ineligible migration presumption and Canada Border Services Agency has nary grounds of his entry.

Lutts tried to transverse astatine a Niagara Falls, Ont., larboard of introduction connected Sept. 29, 2003 — 2 days earlier that cardinal tribunal proceeding — but was turned distant owed to the transgression charges successful Florida, according to a constabulary affidavit.

Still, Lutts recounts settling successful Toronto that twelvemonth and gathering his longtime spouse successful 2004. Within months, Lutts says helium moved into his partner's apartment, wherever Toronto constabulary placed him nether surveillance successful December 2023.

Lutts says helium utilized his existent sanction to unfastened a Fido compartment telephone relationship and a station bureau box. 

Still, helium said, "leaving for Canada and not facing the Florida complaint was a mistake."

Lutts remains a formation risk: prosecutor

In a missive included successful Lutts's Ontario tribunal file, a elder Florida authoritative asked successful March that Canadian authorities contradict bail to the longstanding fugitive.

"Mr. Lutts has already demonstrated that helium is simply a formation hazard and volition fly if granted release," Assistant State Attorney Brian C. Hagner wrote.

"By fleeing to Canada, Mr. Lutts has demonstrated the lengths to which helium volition spell to debar answering for the crimes with which helium has been charged."

Lutts's affidavit said the opposite: helium insisted he can't fly stateside — wherever his household lives — due to the fact that "I cognize I would instantly beryllium arrested." Plus, "I cannot fly anyplace due to the fact that I person nary passport."

Public societal media posts successful caller years, however, suggest Lutts moved freely wrong Canada, including aggregate skis trips to Whistler, B.C.

Lutts pledged to stay connected location apprehension astatine his location successful Toronto and deterioration an ankle show that could way him via a planetary positioning strategy if released connected bail.

The judge's reasons for denying him bail are not listed successful the tribunal file. Canadian courts measurement a bid of factors erstwhile considering whether to merchandise an accused, including whether they volition amusement up for scheduled hearings and whether their merchandise would undermine assurance successful the justness system.

'He's nary longer moving free:' victim's family 

Lutts appeared doubly this week successful a downtown Toronto tribunal by videolink from jail. His lawsuit is scheduled to instrumentality successful June. No day has been acceptable for a ceremonial extradition hearing.

Ralph Anthony Cordero, whose stepsister died successful the 1998 crash, watched a unrecorded video provender Wednesday greeting from his location successful Washington state. 

"It was precise pleasing to spot that he's nary longer moving free," Cordero told CBC aft Lutts appeared connected screen, wearing orangish jailhouse garb. Cordero said his household ne'er mislaid anticipation that Lutts would beryllium found, adjacent aft much than 2 decades connected the lam.

"The motivator" for Lopez's loved ones, Cordero said, "was to guarantee that this feline does not dice earlier we get our hands connected him."