A former Colorado man, wanted by the FBI since 1977, was arrested Wednesday in New Mexico.
Luis Archuleta, also known as Larry Pusateri, was wanted on a federal arrest warrant issued in 1977 for his escape from a Colorado prison in 1974, according to a news release.
At the time of his escape, Archuleta was serving a prison sentence for a 1973 conviction in Denver of assault of a police officer with a deadly weapon, according to the release. The warrant remained active until 2018.
On June 30, a federal warrant was reissued for Archuleta for the charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and confinement — for his Colorado prison escape.
Archuleta, 77, has been living in Española, N.M., for about four decades under the alias Ramon Montoya, authorities said. He was arrested in Española.
“This arrest should send a clear signal to violent offenders everywhere: The FBI will find you, no matter how long it takes or how far you run, and we will bring you to justice,” said Michael Schneider, the special agent in charge, in the news release. “I want to thank the Española Police Department for working closely with the FBI Denver and Albuquerque Divisions on this investigation and getting this dangerous fugitive off the streets.”
A Denver jury in March 1973 found Archuleta guilty of shooting a Denver police officer in the 4400 block of Mariposa Street, said District Attorney Beth McCann, in the news release.
McCann said, “Thanks to the excellent collaboration and tenacity of federal and local law enforcement agencies, Mr. Archuleta will at long last be held accountable for his actions.”