A California Fugitive Task Force Arrests Man in Mexico on Kidnapping Charges

A man on the run from authorities with his young son for nearly two years has been located in Mexico by the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force Team 6 and returned to Riverside County to face justice.

Yasar Bader Aqel, born in 1977 fled from his home in Perris in February 2018 with his son. Aqel did not have full custody of his son and was on probation. His probation stemmed from previous charges including child concealment and resisting arrest with his daughter in 2014.

After Aqel failed to report as required to family services in February 2018, a felony no-bail warrant for violating probation was issued for his arrest and a no-bail civil warrant was issued for the return of the child.

Authorities initially had information that led them to believe Aqel fled to the Middle East before heading to Mexico. According to the Riverside County District Attorneys Office, The Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (Team 6) took on the case to find Aqel and the boy.

Working with the Policia Estatal Preventtiva (PEP) in Mexico, on Aug. 26, 2019, the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, Orange County team, began surveillance of Aqel in Baja California, Mexico. Authorities arrested Aqel on Monday and safely recovered the boy.

Both father and son were transported back to the United States where Aqel was booked at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta and the boy was released to the custody of Riverside County Child Protective Services.

Aqel is scheduled to appear at the Hall of Justice in Riverside on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019.

The U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force Team 6 is made up of senior investigators from the Riverside County DA’s Office, special agents from the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, and inspectors with the United States Marshal Service. Team 6 is one of 20 teams comprising the fugitive task force in a collaborative effort by southern region law enforcement agencies to apprehend fugitives from justice.