U.S. Marshals Task Force Capture Illinois Escapee in Pensacola; and Sexual Battery Suspect in Defuniak Springs

Pensacola, FL – The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested an escapee today from Chicago, who reportedly arrived in Pensacola on New Year’s Eve. Fred Hoye, 40, who was originally arrested under the alias “Theodore Usher” was out on bail in Cook County, IL on drug charges and placed on GPS monitoring.  According to law enforcement officials there he cut the device off and headed to Pensacola at 9:30 p.m., December 30 from Chicago. Hoye, using the name “Fred Boyd”, and another man and woman left on a Greyhound Bus. Earlier today a detective there contacted the Escambia county Sheriff’s Office Warrants Unit who then requested the help of the Task Force. Several hours later the U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers from Escambia County discovered that Hoye and the female were staying at an apartment complex off of

Fairfield Avenue

near highway 98. At approximately 3:30 p.m., they were driving through the complex when they saw both Hoye and the female walking out of the complex onto

Fairfield Avenue

. Shortly after, the Task Force with the assistance of Escambia Patrol Units arrested Hoye without incident. Hoye was booked into the Escambia County Jail where he will be held until he is extradited back to Illinois.

Earlier this morning, Task Force Officers from Defuniak Springs Police Department along with others from Walton, Okaloosa and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices as well as Niceville Police Department and the State Attorney’s Office were planning to serve a Walton County arrest warrant for Lewd and Lascivious Battery on a Child, Failure to Appear on Pablo Baza-Valerio of the 600 Block of Ruckel Drive in Walton County. The Task Force quickly learned that he may be in a vehicle that had just left the residence and Task Force Members conducted a traffic stop on that car and found three of the suspect’s family members but not the fugitive. They were interviewed in an attempt to locate Baza-Valerio. Soon afterwards officers spoke to Baza-Valerio on the phone and negotiated his surrender. Baza-Valerio was taken into custody at the DeFuniak Springs Police Department at approximately 8:00am and he was transported to the Walton County Jail. Baza-Valerio also has a Failure to Appear warrant in Okaloosa County.