A correction to an earlier version of this article has been appended to the end of the article.
SANTA CLARA – After more than two years on the run, a 34-year-old man has been rearrested and extradited to Santa Clara County to face child molestation charges, authorities said.
The man, identified as Daniel Thomas, was charged in 2017, according to Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney Terry Harman.
Because Thomas was a juvenile at the time of the alleged offenses, the criminal case was filed in juvenile court, but it was later moved to adult court, Harman said. Thomas did not appear for an arraignment on March 4, 2019, but he showed up to court two days later and was released on his own recognizance, according to Harman.
Thomas did not comply with the terms of his release, Harman said, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was found in Plumas County and brought back to Santa Clara County. In May 2020, a judge again ordered his release, according to Harman.
The district attorney’s office objected to Thomas’ release both times, Harman said.
“Our outrage was palpable,” Harman said.
As a condition of his release, Thomas was ordered to wear an ankle monitor, but he cut the device off and fled the county, the Santa Clara Police Department said in a statement.
Thomas concealed his identity and whereabouts, but detectives determined he was likely in Shasta County, police said. On Sept. 14, Santa Clara police – with the help of the Redding Police Department, Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, Plumas County Sheriff’s Office and members of the local community – arrested him without incident in Shingletown.
Police said the man was extradited to Santa Clara County, where he was booked into jail on no-bail warrants for 20 counts of lewd acts with minors under the age of 14 by means of force, violence, duress, menace or fear and failure to appear in court.
Sept. 30, 2022 Due to erroneous information provided by Santa Clara police, an earlier version of this article incorrectly reported the timeline of Daniel Thomas' charging and arrest. He was not arrested in 2015, did not fail to appear in court, and was not “on the run” for seven years. According to the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office, Thomas was charged in juvenile court in 2017. The case was transferred to adult court in 2019 and Thomas was allowed to remain free under conditions imposed by the court. He was first arrested in 2020 after failing to comply with the terms of his custody arrangement.
