OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut man police say fled the state in 2013 to avoid manslaughter charges in the death of his girlfriend in a drunken driving crash has been apprehended in Florida, police said.
John Shepard, 49, was arrested in Broward County over the weekend, Old Saybrook police said.
He was tracked down thanks to tips from the public following a story about his disappearance on WFSB-TV that aired last week, police said.
Shepard was drunk when he rolled his Jeep while off-roading in July 2013, crushing his live-in girlfriend, Leah Coleman, police said. Shepard left the state before police could issue a warrant.
Shepard was also reportedly in Texas and New Mexico during his seven years on the run, police said.
He faces charges of first-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle and second-degree manslaughter when he is returned to Connecticut. It’s not clear if he has an attorney.
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