Connecticut Fugitive Captured in Puerto Rico

New Haven, CT - The U.S. Marshals today located and arrested in Puerto Rico a man wanted by the East Hartford Police Department since 2017 on multiple sex assault and other charges.

Jose Sanchez, 44, was wanted for three counts of sexual assault 4th degree and three counts of risk of injury to a minor.  

Investigating the sexual assault of a minor May 5, 2017, the East Hartford Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for Sanchez. After exhausting all efforts to locate Sanchez, the East Hartford Police requested assistance from the Connecticut U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force (CVFTF) to locate and apprehend him.

CVFTF investigators today developed information that Sanchez was possibly hiding out with family in Hato Ray, Puerto Rico, and sent a collateral lead to the USMS Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force, who then apprehended Sanchez.

Sanchez remains in custody in Puerto Rico pending extradition to Connecticut to face the charges against him.  

Since the inception of the U.S. Marshals – Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force in 1999, these partnerships have resulted in over 11,046 arrests (Updated as of 9/08/2022). The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent fugitives and sexual predators. Membership agencies include Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Norwalk, Waterbury Police Departments and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses. Nationally the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, eight regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.