Carl Cacconie, convicted of six counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child in El Dorado County, has been captured after nearly 10 months on the run, according to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI Sacramento Field Office.Cacconie was located in Scottsdale, Arizona, following what officials described as an extensive joint investigation. He was apprehended without incident at approximately 9 a.m. by the FBI Phoenix Desert Hawk Fugitive Task Force, which includes FBI special agents, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies and U.S. Border Patrol agents.Cacconie is expected to make his first court appearance in Scottsdale before being extradited back to California, where he will face sentencing.For the victim and her family, the news marked a stunning turn after months of fear, uncertainty and frustration.“Honestly, it hasn’t really sunk in yet. It feels surreal,” said the victim, whom KCRA 3 is not identifying. “When I got the call this morning, I was in shock after so many months of waiting, and all the uncertainty, and frustration, and feeling like there were never any answers. I never thought I would see this day come. I was losing hope. I never expected to wake up to that phone call.”The victim said she is relieved Cacconie has been caught, but anxious about what comes next.“Part of me is relieved that he is finally caught, but part of me is feeling overwhelmed and anxious about what is next,” she said. “I hope I will finally be able to read my victim statement in court at his sentencing hearing. I’ve waited a long time for this moment.”Her mother, Alana Ramirez, said the family broke down when they learned Cacconie had been captured.“It was the best news I have ever heard. I cried. We both cried,” Ramirez said. “Justice will finally be served, and the public will be safer with him behind bars where he belongs. We can finally have peace in our lives, and closure.”Guilty verdictsCacconie was found guilty on July 17, 2025, following a trial at the El Dorado County courthouse in South Lake Tahoe.An El Dorado County jury convicted him of six counts of committing lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14.The victim, now an adult, said she was 11 years old when the abuse occurred. She previously told KCRA 3 she remembered being afraid that no one would believe her.“He was an adult. People would believe an adult before me,” she said. After the verdict, she described feeling relief after years of pain.“It was a sense of relief,” she said. “All of the tears — it was all worth it in the end. Even though it was one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through, it felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”Judge allowed Cacconie to leave courtDespite the conviction, Cacconie was not immediately taken into custody. According to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, a deputy district attorney requested that Cacconie be remanded into custody while awaiting sentencing. That request was denied.Instead, Cacconie remained out of custody on $1 million bail after previously surrendering his passport and being fitted with a monitoring device. El Dorado County Judge Michael McLaughlin allowed him to leave the courthouse and return for sentencing on Aug. 25, 2025. Cacconie faced up to 18 years in prison. He never showed up.“Where is he? He just disappeared,” the victim previously said.Nearly 10 months as a fugitiveOn Aug. 17, 2025, Cacconie’s monitoring device stopped transmitting, according to the District Attorney’s Office. He was last seen in San Francisco on Aug. 22, 2025.On Aug. 25, the day of his sentencing, Cacconie’s family informed the court that they had reported him missing and said he had left behind his phone, wallet and a suicide note.The victim’s family said that without the discovery of Cacconie’s body, they believed he was alive.On May 14, 2026, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Cacconie in the Eastern District of California for unlawful flight to avoid confinement, which officials said was meant to aid efforts to locate him.Less than a month later, Cacconie was captured in Arizona.It remains unclear whether anyone who may have helped Cacconie evade authorities or hide while he was a fugitive is facing charges.“We never stopped fighting for justice in this case,” El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to our federal partners, whose collaboration was invaluable in locating and apprehending Cacconie. While nothing can erase the harm caused, we hope today’s outcome offers a measure of peace to Cacconie’s survivor and family, knowing that he will now finally be held accountable and sentenced for his crimes.”FBI Sacramento Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh said Cacconie “underestimated law enforcement and our commitment to ensuring justice for those impacted by his crimes.”“Our task force officer with the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office relentlessly pursued leads and worked closely with FBI Sacramento, FBI San Francisco, and FBI Phoenix field offices to ensure every possible tool, technique, and resource was leveraged to locate and safely apprehend this convicted criminal,” Tosh said.Family says public attention helped lead to captureThe victim said she is grateful to those who kept attention on the case while Cacconie remained a fugitive.“I am grateful to KCRA, all of the media, the FBI and the public for sharing our story and showing us so much compassion,” she said. “It all helped get him caught.”Ramirez said her daughter took a major risk by sharing her story publicly, but said the family felt it was necessary.“It was a huge risk for my brave daughter to share such a sensitive and personal story with the public, but we felt we had no other choice to get Carl caught after being on the run for 10 months,” Ramirez said. “I am grateful for the detectives and investigators for all their work on this case and for not giving up.”Before Cacconie’s arrest, Ramirez described living with daily fear. “He might come after my daughter,” Ramirez previously said.She said that fear followed her constantly. “I think about it every day, even when I go to sleep at night,” Ramirez said. “It’s something I fear every day. It’s not a good feeling.”Ramirez also blamed the judge for allowing Cacconie to remain free after the jury’s guilty verdicts.“I don’t understand why you would let him go after he was found guilty,” Ramirez said. “I don’t have an answer, and I wish he — or someone — would give us one. Nobody has explained how this was possible.”Questioning the judge’s decisionJudge McLaughlin declined to comment when previously contacted by KCRA 3. The court cited the California Code of Judicial Ethics, which prohibits judges from discussing pending cases.KCRA 3 Investigates also reached out to retired Superior Court judges to assess whether the decision could be justified. Retired Sacramento County Judge Maryanne Gilliard was critical of the decision.“It was clear this man was a danger to society,” Gilliard said. “He should have been immediately remanded.”A second retired judge consulted by KCRA 3 said, “Letting someone out who has been convicted of such serious felonies, even with $1 million bail, is exercising very poor judgment.” Pierson previously said his office pushed for Cacconie to be taken into custody immediately after the guilty verdicts.“This is someone a jury unanimously convicted of multiple acts against a child,” Pierson said. “Under those circumstances, there’s simply no question he should have been remanded into custody.”Cacconie had posted a $1 million bond, which he could forfeit by failing to appear at sentencing. When asked whether that amount may have effectively become the “price of freedom,” Pierson agreed.Failed ankle monitorAn El Dorado County Probation Department report obtained by KCRA 3 Investigates said Cacconie was wearing a GPS ankle monitor at the time of his disappearance.According to the report submitted to the court, “On August 17, 2025, the device lost its connection and location.”The device was last tracked to an address in San Francisco’s Sunset District. The report also states that no one from the Probation Department contacted Cacconie for two days. On Aug. 19, the report notes, “the defendant reported he was charging the anklet.” The Probation Department said it was unable to reach him again and never recovered the ankle monitor. Their last contact with him was six days before he failed to show up for sentencing in South Lake Tahoe.Awaiting sentencingCacconie’s defense attorney, Chris Walsh, previously told KCRA 3 he believed Cacconie was dead. Walsh said Cacconie’s history of never missing a court appearance may have played a role in the judge’s decision to allow him to remain free after the verdicts.The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office and FBI Sacramento Field Office thanked the community for its support throughout the nearly 10-month search and thanked Cacconie’s survivor and her family for their patience during the effort to locate him.The victim’s family has also called for changes to the law that would require judges to immediately detain people convicted of child sex crimes. “You know, once they’re found guilty, they should be put away,” the victim previously said.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Carl Cacconie, convicted of six counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child in El Dorado County, has been captured after nearly 10 months on the run, according to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI Sacramento Field Office.
Cacconie was located in Scottsdale, Arizona, following what officials described as an extensive joint investigation.
He was apprehended without incident at approximately 9 a.m. by the FBI Phoenix Desert Hawk Fugitive Task Force, which includes FBI special agents, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies and U.S. Border Patrol agents.
Cacconie is expected to make his first court appearance in Scottsdale before being extradited back to California, where he will face sentencing.
For the victim and her family, the news marked a stunning turn after months of fear, uncertainty and frustration.
“Honestly, it hasn’t really sunk in yet. It feels surreal,” said the victim, whom KCRA 3 is not identifying. “When I got the call this morning, I was in shock after so many months of waiting, and all the uncertainty, and frustration, and feeling like there were never any answers. I never thought I would see this day come. I was losing hope. I never expected to wake up to that phone call.”
The victim said she is relieved Cacconie has been caught, but anxious about what comes next.
“Part of me is relieved that he is finally caught, but part of me is feeling overwhelmed and anxious about what is next,” she said. “I hope I will finally be able to read my victim statement in court at his sentencing hearing. I’ve waited a long time for this moment.”
Her mother, Alana Ramirez, said the family broke down when they learned Cacconie had been captured.
“It was the best news I have ever heard. I cried. We both cried,” Ramirez said. “Justice will finally be served, and the public will be safer with him behind bars where he belongs. We can finally have peace in our lives, and closure.”
Guilty verdicts
Cacconie was found guilty on July 17, 2025, following a trial at the El Dorado County courthouse in South Lake Tahoe.
An El Dorado County jury convicted him of six counts of committing lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14.
The victim, now an adult, said she was 11 years old when the abuse occurred. She previously told KCRA 3 she remembered being afraid that no one would believe her.
“He was an adult. People would believe an adult before me,” she said. After the verdict, she described feeling relief after years of pain.
“It was a sense of relief,” she said. “All of the tears — it was all worth it in the end. Even though it was one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through, it felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”
Judge allowed Cacconie to leave court
Despite the conviction, Cacconie was not immediately taken into custody. According to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, a deputy district attorney requested that Cacconie be remanded into custody while awaiting sentencing. That request was denied.
Instead, Cacconie remained out of custody on $1 million bail after previously surrendering his passport and being fitted with a monitoring device. El Dorado County Judge Michael McLaughlin allowed him to leave the courthouse and return for sentencing on Aug. 25, 2025. Cacconie faced up to 18 years in prison. He never showed up.
“Where is he? He just disappeared,” the victim previously said.
Nearly 10 months as a fugitive
On Aug. 17, 2025, Cacconie’s monitoring device stopped transmitting, according to the District Attorney’s Office. He was last seen in San Francisco on Aug. 22, 2025.
On Aug. 25, the day of his sentencing, Cacconie’s family informed the court that they had reported him missing and said he had left behind his phone, wallet and a suicide note.
The victim’s family said that without the discovery of Cacconie’s body, they believed he was alive.
On May 14, 2026, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Cacconie in the Eastern District of California for unlawful flight to avoid confinement, which officials said was meant to aid efforts to locate him.Less than a month later, Cacconie was captured in Arizona.
It remains unclear whether anyone who may have helped Cacconie evade authorities or hide while he was a fugitive is facing charges.
“We never stopped fighting for justice in this case,” El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to our federal partners, whose collaboration was invaluable in locating and apprehending Cacconie. While nothing can erase the harm caused, we hope today’s outcome offers a measure of peace to Cacconie’s survivor and family, knowing that he will now finally be held accountable and sentenced for his crimes.”
FBI Sacramento Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh said Cacconie “underestimated law enforcement and our commitment to ensuring justice for those impacted by his crimes.”
“Our task force officer with the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office relentlessly pursued leads and worked closely with FBI Sacramento, FBI San Francisco, and FBI Phoenix field offices to ensure every possible tool, technique, and resource was leveraged to locate and safely apprehend this convicted criminal,” Tosh said.
Family says public attention helped lead to capture
The victim said she is grateful to those who kept attention on the case while Cacconie remained a fugitive.“I am grateful to KCRA, all of the media, the FBI and the public for sharing our story and showing us so much compassion,” she said. “It all helped get him caught.”
Ramirez said her daughter took a major risk by sharing her story publicly, but said the family felt it was necessary.
“It was a huge risk for my brave daughter to share such a sensitive and personal story with the public, but we felt we had no other choice to get Carl caught after being on the run for 10 months,” Ramirez said. “I am grateful for the detectives and investigators for all their work on this case and for not giving up.”
Before Cacconie’s arrest, Ramirez described living with daily fear. “He might come after my daughter,” Ramirez previously said.
She said that fear followed her constantly. “I think about it every day, even when I go to sleep at night,” Ramirez said. “It’s something I fear every day. It’s not a good feeling.”
Ramirez also blamed the judge for allowing Cacconie to remain free after the jury’s guilty verdicts.
“I don’t understand why you would let him go after he was found guilty,” Ramirez said. “I don’t have an answer, and I wish he — or someone — would give us one. Nobody has explained how this was possible.”
Questioning the judge’s decision
Judge McLaughlin declined to comment when previously contacted by KCRA 3. The court cited the California Code of Judicial Ethics, which prohibits judges from discussing pending cases.
KCRA 3 Investigates also reached out to retired Superior Court judges to assess whether the decision could be justified.
Retired Sacramento County Judge Maryanne Gilliard was critical of the decision.“It was clear this man was a danger to society,” Gilliard said. “He should have been immediately remanded.”
A second retired judge consulted by KCRA 3 said, “Letting someone out who has been convicted of such serious felonies, even with $1 million bail, is exercising very poor judgment.”
Pierson previously said his office pushed for Cacconie to be taken into custody immediately after the guilty verdicts.
“This is someone a jury unanimously convicted of multiple acts against a child,” Pierson said. “Under those circumstances, there’s simply no question he should have been remanded into custody.”
Cacconie had posted a $1 million bond, which he could forfeit by failing to appear at sentencing. When asked whether that amount may have effectively become the “price of freedom,” Pierson agreed.
Failed ankle monitor
An El Dorado County Probation Department report obtained by KCRA 3 Investigates said Cacconie was wearing a GPS ankle monitor at the time of his disappearance.According to the report submitted to the court, “On August 17, 2025, the device lost its connection and location.”
The device was last tracked to an address in San Francisco’s Sunset District. The report also states that no one from the Probation Department contacted Cacconie for two days.
On Aug. 19, the report notes, “the defendant reported he was charging the anklet.” The Probation Department said it was unable to reach him again and never recovered the ankle monitor.
Their last contact with him was six days before he failed to show up for sentencing in South Lake Tahoe.
Awaiting sentencing
Cacconie’s defense attorney, Chris Walsh, previously told KCRA 3 he believed Cacconie was dead. Walsh said Cacconie’s history of never missing a court appearance may have played a role in the judge’s decision to allow him to remain free after the verdicts.
The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office and FBI Sacramento Field Office thanked the community for its support throughout the nearly 10-month search and thanked Cacconie’s survivor and her family for their patience during the effort to locate him.
The victim’s family has also called for changes to the law that would require judges to immediately detain people convicted of child sex crimes.
“You know, once they’re found guilty, they should be put away,” the victim previously said.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
