Convicted Sex Offender Captured In Scottsdale After Nearly A Year On The Run

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — A California man convicted of child sexual abuse was arrested in Scottsdale after evading authorities for nearly 10 months, federal officials said.

Carl W. Cacconie, who was convicted in July 2025 of six counts of committing lewd acts upon a child under 14, was taken into custody last week without incident by the FBI Phoenix Desert Hawk Fugitive Task Force near Scottsdale, officials said.

The task force includes FBI special agents, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies and U.S. Border Patrol agents.

Cacconie had been free on $1 million bail after his conviction in El Dorado County, California. A judge denied a prosecutor’s request to remand him into custody while he awaited sentencing, which had been scheduled for Aug. 25, 2025.

As a condition of his release, he surrendered his passport and wore a monitoring device.

Officials said the device stopped transmitting on Aug. 17, 2025, and Cacconie was last seen in San Francisco five days later. On the morning of his scheduled sentencing, his family told the court he was missing and had left behind his phone, wallet and a suicide note.

A federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid confinement was issued in May 2026. Authorities said a joint investigation involving multiple FBI field offices eventually led them to Scottsdale.

FBI Sacramento Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh said Cacconie “underestimated law enforcement and our commitment to ensuring justice for those impacted by his crimes.” El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson said his office never stopped pursuing the case and hoped the arrest would bring some measure of peace to the survivor and family.

Cacconie is expected to make his first court appearance in Scottsdale before being extradited to California for sentencing.