Fugitive of the Week Arrested Across the Country in San Diego

Concord, NH – A short time ago, this week’s “Fugitive of the Week,” Fernando Anton was arrested in San Diego, Calif. by members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. Anton, 23, who was last known to reside in Nashua, NH, was being sought on a Nashua Police Department warrant for First Degree Assault. Anton is alleged to have committed this violent assault on a woman in Nashua on September 27, 2014. During this violent attack, Anton is reported to have bit the woman’s lip, which resulted in serious injuries.

This story did get a substantial amount of media coverage in New Hampshire shortly after the incident. Based on this initial news coverage, the Nashua Police Department followed up on countless leads. Unfortunately, none of those tips led to the arrest of Anton. The Nashua Police Department recently requested the assistance of the U.S. Marshals – NH Joint Fugitive Task Force. As part of the U.S.

Marshals fugitive investigation, Anton was selected to be featured as this week’s “Fugitive of the Week”. The “Fugitive of the Week” is broadcast on WTPL-FM, WMUR-TV, The Union Leader, The Nashua Telegraph, The Patch, Foster’s Daily Democrat and is prominently featured on the internet. The “Fugitive of the Week” has been a very successful tool that has resulted in the location and arrest of numerous fugitives since its implementation in 2007.

Numerous additional tips came in to the Nashua Police Department which pointed investigators to the west coast. Through these tips, investigators were able to develop a location for Anton in an apartment in the 200 block of Sixteenth Street in San Diego, Calif. The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force contacted their counterparts in San Diego, who immediately acted on this information.

A short time ago, The Marshals Fugitive Task Force was able to locate and arrest Anton without incident in San Diego. Anton will be charged as a fugitive from justice, based on the outstanding Nashua Police arrest warrant. Anton will be held at the San Diego County Jail without bail pending his initial court appearance in California and eventual return to New Hampshire to face these very serious charges.

Since the inception of the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force in 2002, these partnerships have resulted in over 5,801 arrests (Updated as of 08/13/2014). These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses. Nationally the United States Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, 7 regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.