MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A fugitive from Morris County was returned to New Jersey recently after spending 12 years on the run in Mexico, federal officials said.
In 2013, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office charged Adrian Bautista with aggravated sexual assault after he attacked a five-year-old girl, according to the FBI.
Before being apprehended, Bautista fled to New York and eventually to Mexico to avoid prosecution, officials said.
After 12 years, on Oct. 31, 2025, Bautista was arrested in Mexico City without incident by Mexican authorities.
On Friday, Bautista was taken back to Morris County where he will face the aggravated sexual assault charges, and possibly others.
Bautista's escort back to New Jersey was done with funding from the federal government's "Project Welcome Home," which assists with returning fugitives to the United States to face justice.
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