FBI hunt man fleeing Mexico after girlfriend’s body found in trunk

A suspect whose girlfriend was found dead in her car in Mexico has become the subject of an FBI manhunt after he escaped custody and crossed back into the United States under an alias, authorities say.

Tyler Adams, 50, was detained by authorities in Rosarito, Baja California after a decomposing body thought to belong to his partner Racquel Sabean was found in the Tijuana area on 31 May.

On June 8, authorities issued an amber alert for 7-month-old Valentina Sabean, his daughter with Ms Sabean.

Mexican police later located Valentina alive in Rosarito, Baja California, and have placed her in protective services.

Mr Adams was taken into custody and was reportedly uncooperative with Mexican authorities.

He was able to slip back into the US using a fake ID in the name of Aaron Bain while he was being transported by Mexican authorities to the US Customs and Border Patrol, the FBI said.

“Clearly something went wrong” FBI spokesperson Bill McNamara told NBC Los Angeles.

“The focus now should be on getting him picked up and into custody.”

The FBI said Ms Sabean and Mr Adams were both US citizens who were living in Mexico.

Mr Adams has a lengthy history of fraud, stolen identities and aliases in California and Hawaii, according to the FBI and media reports.

In 2013, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser described him as a “master of disguise” who  defrauded two Hawaii banks out of more than $120,000 between 2007 and 2008.

Mr Adams created fictitious businesses and used fake checks to open bank accounts, and then convinced the banks to let him withdraw large cash amounts. He was also convicted of stealing a $5,000 diamond ring from Costco.

At the time of his conviction, he was already serving a 14-year prison term in California for a real estate fraud conviction.

After being extradited to Hawaii to complete his 10-year jail term, he absconded without completing a work furlough programme and is wanted in Hawaii on a second degree escape charge stemming from September 2020.

Authorities believe he may still be in the San Diego area.

He is described as a 5’9” (1.75m) weighing about 175 pounds (80kgs) with brown hair and was last seen wearing a yellow short-sleeve button-up shirt, tan pants and black running shoes.

The FBI’s San Diego office says Mr Adams also goes by the aliases: Aaron Lee Bain, Aaron Lee, Aron Lee, Paul Wilson Phipps, Paul Wilson Phillps, David Smith, Dominic Braun, David Phillips, Kevin Schoolcraft, Kevin Kennedy, Michael Whittman, Lance Irwin, Brice Johnson, Matthew Kashani, Taylor Chase, Joshua Smith.