Patrick Lutts Jr. sentenced to 13 years for 1998 Orlando DUI manslaughter after 27‑year pursuit

In December 1998, Patrick Lutts Jr. caused a fatal DUI crash near State Road 528 in Orlando, killing 19‑year‑old Nancy Lopez Leon and her 18‑year‑old boyfriend Darvin Javier DeJesus‑Taboada. Lutts fled the scene and later disappeared, later living for over two decades in Toronto under the alias Pat Lighthelp while hosting local events.

An anonymous tip in November 2023 linked the Toronto resident to the Florida warrant. Toronto police arrested Lutts in February 2025 and began extradition proceedings. U.S. Marshals returned him to Orlando on February 5, 2026. Lutts pleaded guilty to two counts of DUI manslaughter on March 27, 2026, and was sentenced to 13 years in prison, two years of probation, a permanent revocation of his driving privileges, and credit for time spent in Canadian detention.