FBI, Elmore County Sheriff Request Public’s Help on Anniversary of “Ten Most Wanted” Program

Brother of Former Idaho “Ten Most Wanted” Fugitive Still At-Large

What: News conference to update media and request public’s help in search for Simon Lopez-Orozco wanted for accessory to first degree murder
When: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Boise FBI Office – Wells Fargo Center, 877 West Main Street, Suite 404
Who: Elmore County Sheriff Rick Layher and FBI Supervisory Special Agent John Morton

It’s been almost six months since the arrest of FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive Jorge Lopez-Orozco. Lopez-Orozco faces prosecution in Elmore County, Idaho for the 2002 murders of his girlfriend Rebecca Ramirez and her two young children. He was placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list in 2005 and apprehended in October 2009 while hauling metal to a scrap yard in Zihautanejo, Mexico.

The FBI and the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office are marking the 60th Anniversary of the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” program with a renewed request for tips on the whereabouts of Jorge’s brother, Simon Lopez-Orozco.

Although not listed as a “Top Ten” fugitive, Simon Lopez-Orozco is wanted for accessory to murder for helping his brother Jorge flee the state of Idaho after the murders. According to his FBI wanted poster, which can be found at http://saltlakecity.fbi.gov/index.html, he is 5’6”, 180 pounds with a scar on his left cheek. A photo of Simon Lopez-Orozco can be found on the Salt Lake City FBI website. The public is reminded to not approach Lopez-Orozco and instead phone in tips to local law enforcement, the nearest FBI Office, or the FBI Salt Lake City Division at (801) 579-1400.

The Top Ten program began from a newspaper story in late 1949. A reporter for International News Service asked the FBI for the names and descriptions of the “toughest guys” the Bureau would like to capture. The story had so much appeal and generated so much positive publicity that in March 1950, former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover implemented the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program. To date, 494 fugitives have been placed on the list. Last October, Jorge Lopez-Orozco became the 463rd person on the list to be apprehended or located. One hundred and fifty-two have been caught as a result of citizen cooperation.

Information about today’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives can be found on the Internet, television, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, podcasts, cell phone applications, and digital billboards. As technology continues to advance and innovative applications surface, the FBI intends to utilize all the tools available to publicize the Top Ten fugitives and engage the public in helping to locate them. More information about the Top Ten fugitives is available on the FBI’s Internet home page at www.fbi.gov.