Two missing California children were found alive in Mexico nearly two years after authorities say their father fled the country following the killing of their mother.
Federal authorities announced Tuesday that Camron Lee, 40, was arrested in Primo Tapia, Baja California, after a public tip led investigators to his location.
His children, Athena Lee, 5, and Mateo Lee, 4, were also recovered safely.
The children had not been seen since July 2024, when Sacramento police discovered their mother, Angelica Bravo, dead inside a home.
Investigators later accused Lee of killing Bravo before disappearing with the children.
Police charged him with murder and four counts of possession of an assault weapon.
Federal authorities later issued an unlawful flight warrant after investigators believed Lee had fled the country.
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For nearly two years, the children’s whereabouts remained unknown.
The FBI eventually launched a bilingual media campaign across North America offering rewards for information leading to Lee’s arrest and the children’s recovery.
Authorities said the breakthrough finally came after someone recognized Lee and contacted investigators.
“Today’s announcement highlights the impact of the FBI’s reward program,” FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel said.
“A single tip brought a fugitive to justice for his alleged crime and reunited a family.”
Sacramento Police Chief Zachary Bales said investigators never stopped pursuing the case.
“This case sends a clear message that violence will not be tolerated in our community, and those who harm others will be pursued with determination and resolve,” Bales said.
“Our thoughts remain with Ms. Bravo’s family and loved ones, and we hope this development brings them a measure of solace as they continue to carry this profound loss.”
Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho also praised the arrest.
“This arrest is a powerful reminder that no matter how much time passes, our resolve to pursue justice and protect our community never fades,” Ho said.
Authorities said Athena and Mateo have now been reunited with their maternal grandmother.
The FBI credited Mexican authorities and multiple U.S. agencies with helping locate Lee and recover the children.
Elsewhere, a Texas murder suspect accused of strangling his pregnant wife and fleeing overseas is now trying to avoid being sent back to the United States.
Lee Mongerson Gilley, 39, appeared in an Italian courtroom last week after authorities arrested him in Milan.
Gilley is accused of killing his wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, inside the couple’s Houston home in October 2024.
Investigators initially responded to reports of a possible overdose or suicide.
An autopsy later determined Christa died from strangulation. Authorities also said she was pregnant at the time of her death.
According to prosecutors, Gilley gave conflicting explanations about what happened and admitted the couple had argued before her death. He was later charged with capital murder.
Authorities said Gilley was released on bond before allegedly cutting off his GPS ankle monitor and fleeing the country ahead of trial.
Investigators believe he traveled through Canada before arriving in Italy using forged identification documents and a false identity. Gilley insisted in court that he is innocent.
“My wife is dead, and they wrongly blamed me. I am innocent. I did not kill my wife,” Gilley told the judge, according to NBC News. “The only crime I committed was fleeing.”
He also claimed he does not trust the American justice system and wants asylum in Italy.
“My wife is dead, and they wrongly blamed me,” Gilley repeated in court.
Italian officials have not yet decided whether he will be extradited back to Texas.
Meanwhile in Hawaii, a doctor convicted of trying to kill his wife during a cliffside hike is now demanding a new trial after jurors allegedly questioned whether he intended to murder her.
Anesthesiologist Gerhardt Konig, 47, was convicted in April of attempted manslaughter after prosecutors accused him of attacking his wife, Arielle Konig, during a hike near Oahu’s Pali Puka Trail.
Prosecutors said Konig beat his wife with a rock near the edge of a cliff after tensions exploded over her admitted “emotional affair” with a coworker.
Arielle told jurors her husband wrestled her to the ground, pulled out a syringe and attacked her with the rock.
“Please help, he’s trying to kill me,” she testified she screamed during the assault.
Authorities said two female hikers heard her cries and called 911.
Konig denied trying to kill his wife and claimed he acted in self-defense after she allegedly hit him with a rock first.
Defense attorneys argued police never recovered a syringe at the scene.
Jurors ultimately rejected attempted murder charges but convicted Konig on a lesser count.
Now his legal team is seeking a new trial after several jurors reportedly said they did not believe he intended to kill Arielle.
“While we remain grateful that Dr Konig was not convicted of attempted murder, statements by certain jurors after the verdict demonstrate that he should not have been convicted of attempted manslaughter either,” attorney Thomas Otake said.
Konig remains jailed ahead of sentencing scheduled for August. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Authorities also revealed during trial that Konig allegedly stood to receive $250,000 from a life insurance policy if his wife died.
Arielle later filed for divorce and sought full custody of the couple’s children after the attack.
