Victim says it’s ‘absolutely insane’: Convicted child predator who faked death captured in Arizona
By Kurtis Ming
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SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (KCRA) — Carl Cacconie, a convicted child predator who vanished in August before his sentencing in El Dorado County, was captured Saturday morning in Scottsdale, Arizona, after authorities say he faked his own death.
His victim, who was molested at age 11, shared her reaction to the call she received Saturday morning about his capture.
“When I first got the news, my mom and I just broke down. It was absolutely insane,” she said.
Upon seeing his mugshot, she added, “He looks completely different. Looks for sure like he was trying to change his appearance.”
Cacconie was convicted in July of sex crimes against a child inside a South Lake Tahoe courthouse, but Judge Michael McLaughlin did not order him into custody. Instead, the judge instructed him to return a month later for sentencing, where he faced up to 18 years in prison.
Retired judges and a state lawmaker previously criticized that decision to KCRA 3. For the victim, whom we are not naming, that criticism brought validation.
“By others seeing that and feeling the same way that my family and I did, it definitely put it into perspective — like, we’re not the only ones who saw where this went wrong,” she said.
A week before his sentencing hearing, Cacconie’s ankle monitor disconnected in San Francisco, but investigators did not send anyone to locate him. His family later reported him missing in San Francisco and claimed he left a suicide note.
The victim said she never believed he had taken his own life.
“That is just crazy,” she said. “I knew it. I knew that he did not kill himself. I knew it deep down.”
Following a KCRA 3 investigation that aired last month, investigators obtained a federal arrest warrant. On Saturday morning, a task force of FBI agents, Border Patrol agents and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office captured Cacconie in Scottsdale. Authorities would not release details about what led to his arrest.
“Carl Cacconie underestimated law enforcement and our commitment to ensuring justice for those impacted by his crimes,” FBI Sacramento Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh said.
Cacconie’s defense attorney, Chris Walsh, previously said he believed his client was dead. After Cacconie’s arrest, KCRA 3 asked Walsh whether he still planned to represent him.
“My office is processing new information and will not be providing an additional statement at this time,” Walsh said.
El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson previously pledged to pursue charges against anyone who helped hide Cacconie. When asked whether that remains the plan, his office declined to comment.
The victim said she never wanted to go public with her deeply personal story but felt the justice system let her down. She said she did not get answers until she contacted KCRA 3.
“I definitely do want to say thank you to KCRA,” she said. “Just for keeping our story alive and keeping it circulating.”
The victim’s family had started a GoFundMe campaign to raise reward money for information leading to Cacconie’s capture, collecting more than $3,000. It remains unclear whether a tip led to his arrest, and the family is exploring ethical ways to use the reward money if no tip was involved.
“I feel just so, so loved, you know, and appreciate everyone who donated,” she said. “They don’t even know me.”
She is now focused on updating the victim impact statement she plans to read to Cacconie when he is extradited to South Lake Tahoe for sentencing.
“He’s just a terrible human. I don’t consider him a human, honestly,” the victim said.
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