'Most wanted' New York fugitive arrested at the Vatican with knives during papal audience

A New York man who was on the state's most wanted list was arrested last month in Italy after being found with weapons in crowded St. Peter's Square during a papal audience.

Moises Tejada, 54, whom the New York state prison service's investigations unit classified as violent, was arrested on April 10 by Italian police while in possession of three concealed knives, according to Reuters.

The arrest of American Moisés Tejada in the vicinity of Saint Peter’s Square on Wednesday, April 10, has sparked shock and worry, given that the individual is sought by the NY Authorities for his alleged participation in a series of violent crimes.

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— ZenitEnglish (@zenitenglish) April 26, 2024

The arrest occurred on the same day the square was packed with tourists and pilgrims from around the world while Pope Francis was holding a general audience.

Law enforcement did not reveal whether Tejada posed a threat to the pope, according to Reuters.

Tejada was first convicted by a court in Suffolk County, New York, in 1999 of robbery and kidnapping for robbing a realtor after handcuffing him to a pole and pointing a gun at him while pretending to be a potential customer, according to a 2004 appeal.

He was sentenced to 20 years to life after committing a similar crime against another realtor, according to an appeals court that upheld his prior conviction.

New York state corrections officials said Tejada started serving time in state prison in March 2000 on his kidnapping and robbery convictions and was returned to prison in January 2022 after violating the terms of his May 2018 parole, according to Catholic News Agency.

Tejada told authorities that he came to Rome via Moldova after spending time in Ukraine, where he was aiding in the war effort against Russia, according to Italian outlet La Repubblica.

In March 2022, Tejada was again released on parole from the maximum-security Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York, but authorities issued a warrant for his arrest that October after he neglected to report to his parole officer, according to CNA.

The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision is reportedly working with federal law enforcement to extradite Tejada from Italy to the United States.

Tejada sued the New York Department of Corrections in 2022 after claiming to have suffered "severe and permanent injuries when he slipped and fell due to water which had accumulated and remained on the floor of the bathroom" at Rikers Island in 2021.