EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. —
A man convicted in El Dorado County of multiple child sex offenses has been captured after spending nearly 10 months as a fugitive, according to federal and local law enforcement authorities.
Carl Wheaton Cacconie, 52, was arrested June 13 in Scottsdale, Arizona, ending a nationwide search that began after he failed to appear for sentencing in August 2025. Authorities said the arrest was carried out by the FBI Phoenix Desert Hawks Fugitive Task Force with assistance from several federal, state and local agencies.
Cacconie was convicted by an El Dorado County jury on July 17, 2025, of six counts of committing lewd and lascivious acts upon a child under the age of 14. Prosecutors said the crimes occurred over an extended period and involved a young victim known to him.
Following the conviction, Cacconie remained free on $1 million bail while awaiting sentencing. Despite objections from prosecutors, he was not taken into custody after the verdict. Court records show he was ordered to surrender his passport and wear a GPS monitoring device as conditions of his release.
Authorities reported that the monitoring device stopped transmitting in mid-August 2025. When Cacconie failed to appear for his scheduled sentencing hearing on Aug. 25, a warrant was issued for his arrest, launching a months-long search.
Investigators later determined that Cacconie had intentionally fled to avoid sentencing. A federal unlawful flight warrant was subsequently issued, allowing additional law enforcement resources to be deployed in the search effort.
El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson praised the collaborative work that ultimately led to the arrest.
“We never stopped fighting for justice in this case,” Pierson said in a statement. “While nothing can erase the harm caused, we hope today’s outcome offers a measure of peace to the survivor and family, knowing that he will now finally be held accountable and sentenced for his crimes.”
The FBI credited cooperation among its Sacramento, San Francisco and Phoenix field offices, along with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol agents and other law enforcement partners.
Cacconie is expected to appear in an Arizona court before being extradited to California. Once returned to El Dorado County, he will face sentencing on the six felony convictions. Prosecutors have previously indicated he faces a lengthy state prison sentence.
The arrest closes one of the county’s highest-profile fugitive cases in recent years and brings the criminal proceedings one step closer to conclusion for the victim and family members who have waited nearly a year for sentencing to occur.
Sources
- El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- El Dorado County Superior Court records
- Public law enforcement statements released June 13, 2026
