U.S. fugitive psychic says it was ‘a mistake’ to flee to Toronto for 21 years
A longtime fugitive wanted for manslaughter in Florida has finally been caught after spending more than 21 years on the run in Toronto. Patrick Lutts Jr. admits that fleeing to Canada was a mistake, as he hid from U.S. authorities following his involvement in a drunk-driving crash in Orlando, Fla., that resulted in the deaths of two teenagers.
In a sworn affidavit obtained by CBC News, Lutts publicly reveals for the first time how he managed to evade authorities for over two decades. He states that he has no passport, no Canadian bank account, and had been living in the same apartment in Toronto’s Church and Wellesley neighborhood since 2004.
Despite living openly in Toronto under the alias Pat Lighthelp, hosting trivia nights at a local bar, and offering relationship advice as an online psychic, Lutts says he always believed that authorities would eventually catch up to him. However, it wasn’t until an anonymous tip received by a Crime Stoppers-type service in Florida in November 2023 led to his arrest by the Toronto Police Service fugitive squad in February.
Lutts now faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted on two counts of DUI manslaughter stemming from the crash that killed Nancy Lopez, 19, and her boyfriend, Darvin Javier DeJesus-Taboada, 18, on Christmas Day 1998. Investigators reported that Lutts had a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit at the time of the crash.
In his affidavit, Lutts acknowledges the seriousness of the allegations against him and expresses regret for not facing the charges in Florida earlier. He admits to fleeing to Canada in 2003 after being charged with DUI manslaughter and failing to attend a court hearing.
While Lutts’ request for bail pending extradition to Florida was denied by a judge, he has pledged to remain on house arrest at his Toronto home and wear an ankle monitor if released. However, a senior Florida prosecutor argued against granting bail, citing Lutts’ history as a flight risk and his willingness to evade justice by fleeing to Canada.
For the family of Nancy Lopez, Lutts’ arrest brings a sense of closure after more than two decades of waiting for justice. Ralph Anthony Cordero, Lopez’s stepsister, expressed relief that Lutts is no longer running free and emphasized the family’s determination to see him held accountable for his actions.
As Lutts’ case moves forward in the Canadian courts, the victims’ families hope that he will finally face the consequences of his actions and bring some measure of peace to those who have suffered from his long evasion of justice.
