Italian police arrested the “most wanted” American fugitive last Sunday who was carrying three hidden knives in the crowded St. Peter’s Square in front of the Vatican, a judicial source said today.
The fugitive, who is now in custody, is named Moises Tejada and is being denounced as a violent person by the New York State Penitentiary Investigations Unit.
He is on the list of the most wanted persons of that department.
The Italian daily “Republika” was the first to report that Tejada had been arrested, and later this was confirmed by a source from the judiciary.
He attracted the suspicion of the police, who detained him and found that he was carrying knives 20 centimeters long.
St. Peter’s Square was filled with worshipers and tourists as Pope Francis held a general audience that day, Wednesday, April 10.
For now, it is not known whether Tejada, who was convicted of robbery and kidnapping, posed any threat to Pope Francis.
Investigators discovered that he had recently arrived in Rome from Moldova, having previously resided in Ukraine.
He told investigators that he had been in Ukraine since 2022, where he fought against Russian forces, “Republika” reported.
Italian authorities are now waiting for US authorities to decide whether to seek his extradition.
Photo: illustration
