Duane "Dog" Chapman, the self-proclaimed world's most-famous bounty hunter who achieved notoriety nabbing thousands of bail jumpers was arrested Thursday for allegedly jumping bail in Mexico.
U.S. marshals arrested the star of the A&E reality show "Dog the Bounty Hunter" at his home in Hawaii at the request of the Mexican government.
Chapman was wanted in connection with his highly publicized 2003 capture of Max Factor cosmetics heir Andrew Luster, who fled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, after skipping out on a $1 million bail.
Luster was later convicted in-absentia on 86 charges involving drugging three women with the date-rape drug, GHB, and raping them. Luster is serving a 124-year sentence. (Full story)
Chapman's son, Leland, also was arrested Thursday, as was colleague Tim Chapman, who is unrelated but considered a "blood brother" by Dog, according to the reality show's Web site.
Marshals knocked on the door of Chapman's home just after 6 a.m., and they entered the home after the unlatched door came open, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Jay Bieber.
Chapman was cooperative, Bieber said. He was handcuffed and placed in the back of a government vehicle.
Chapman's wife, Beth, told MSNBC her husband was being held in a federal detention center in Honolulu.
The arrest warrant is under seal, and charges are expected to be announced Friday when Chapman is scheduled to appear before a magistrate's court in Honolulu.
Larry Butrick, chief of the criminal division of the U.S. attorney's office in Hawaii, said Chapman was arrested by Mexican authorities in June 2003 on charges of illegal detention and conspiracy.
The magistrate will determine whether Chapman can be extradited to Mexico, and the final decision will be made by the U.S. secretary of state, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Hawaii.
Mexican police said that the three men subdued Luster outside a nightclub, put him in an SUV and drove off June 18, 2003. Police stopped the vehicles soon afterward and took the men into custody.
Chapman and his crew were not authorized to track Luster and take him into custody in Mexico, Mexican officials said at the time, adding that bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico.
Judge Jose de Jesus Pineda ordered the three men to stand trial on charges of unlawful detention and deprivation of freedom, charges which carry sentences of up to four years in prison.
Pineda granted the men bail -- $1,500 each -- but the three were supposed to check in regularly with police and get Pineda's permission before traveling outside the Mexican state of Jalisco, a prosecutor said.
The men did not, supervising prosecutor Marco Roberto Suarez said in July 2003, threatening to have the men arrested and returned to Mexico if they missed their scheduled appearance before Pineda.
The following month, Superior Court Judge Edward Brodie in Ventura County, California, ruled that Chapman was not entitled to any of the $1 million in bail money forfeited by Luster when he fled to Mexico. (Full story)
"I cannot do vigilante justice," Brodie said. "In my view, you violated state statutes and Mexican statutes. Therefore you are not entitled to any restitution."
Chapman later said he was proud that he had captured Luster, but regretted doing it "in the wrong way."
"Dog the Bounty Hunter," in which Chapman and his family chase down bail jumpers and other fugitives, is one of A&E's most popular series. It is in its third season.
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I'm surprised Beth didn't beat them with her cannons
Bet it felt odd with the shoe being on the other foot. I've watched that show a few times where they pray before they go after each fugitive, and although I think bounty hunters are scumbags, he seems to treat people pretty well.
. I'm not much on reality tv but I get a kick out of this one. It's surprisng to hear that he was arrested but if he didn't follow the letter of the law then I guess he got what he deserved. It will be interesting to hear what happened.
