A man featured on “America's Most Wanted” was caught after his daughters started a TikTok campaign to hunt him down and claim he sexually abused two children.
Davie Albarran, 51, was arrested Sunday evening in Lakeland, Polk County, Florida, on charges of sexual assault of a child under 12 years of age and lewd conduct toward a child under 12 years of age.
He was caught hiding in a shed for 451 days on the run after his daughters Ana and Yaneiry launched a search campaign for him – which earned him hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok – and after his appearance on America's Most Wanted.
Ana and Yaneiry claim that since their campaign began, they have been contacted by additional victims, apart from the two cases that he was officially accused of.
Their hunt began in 2022 when his daughters said Albarran disappeared after they confronted him and accused him of attacking their young female family member.
Davie Albarran was found hiding in a shed Sunday evening and arrested in Polk County
Sisters Ana and Yaneiry were thrilled to see their father appear on America's Most Wanted, but it took another year before he was caught
Frustrated by his disappearance, Ana decided to post on Facebook, publicly accusing him of the crimes and asking anyone who had seen him to come forward and help find him.
She wrote: “Please share and paint the city with his face. “He is on the run and the police are looking for him.”
Over the past year and a half, the sisters have put up billboards, staked out motels, interviewed other family members and even featured their father on the show “America's Most Wanted” in December 2022.
The videos they shared about their attempts to track him down garnered hundreds of thousands of views and were picked up by local news stations.
Ana Albarran, now in her 30s, claimed in an interview with WOFL that her father also behaved inappropriately toward her when she was young, and that dozens of other victims have come forward with similar stories.
They said not all of their family supported them – the sisters accused some of Albarran's siblings of helping keep him hidden and keeping him in their homes.
They repeatedly claimed that they would not allow the alleged cover-up to occur in their family and that they would “believe” the children who came forward.
Ana cries on camera when she finds out her father has been arrested. She and her sister had mobilized support for over a year to find him
His daughters created and shared wanted posters to distribute around the country and warn other parents
The daughters shared photos of their father and asked if anyone had seen him
After finding out Monday that he had been caught, the sisters filmed a celebratory video with other family members
Albarran was featured on America's Most Wanted, which meant his face was broadcast across the country
When the sisters finally learned he had been arrested, they made a celebratory video in which the entire family gathered, sprayed a bottle of champagne and screamed with joy.
Ana said, “We did it, boys.” My father is in prison. After a damn year. I just thank you because without you he would never have been found, brother.”
She told WFTV9 when she heard the news, “I started screaming. “I cried. I was in disbelief.'
Ana and Yaneiry said it was the “greatest feeling in the world,” adding, “We are his karma.”
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described the arrest: “Well, he made a mistake.” (America's Most Wanted) took him all over the country and he came to Lakeland.
“When he came to Lakeland we received confidential information. They said, “Hey, we know where this guy is.”
His two daughters, Ana and Yaneiry, led a year-long campaign to track down and arrest him after he disappeared in 2022
Police and a police dog tracked him to a shed, where they confronted and arrested him
Sheriff Grady Judd said Albarran made a “big mistake” in coming to Lakeland
The couple worked with the Polk County Sheriff's Office to secure his arrest
“So just before midnight on Sunday night we were sneaking around in a backyard on Country Haven Drive. Well, maybe it was Country Haven Drive, but it wasn't a 'refuge' for him.”
Albarran reportedly tried to evade officers by telling them his name was Jose, but they saw through his ruse and took him into custody.
No further information is yet available regarding his charges or trial.
Back in December 2022, Sheriff Marcos Lopez said: “Now is the time to catch this trash.” This monster. There is no other way to describe this garbage. Arrest him and put him in prison for 100 years.
“Taking away the innocence of children,” Osceola Sheriff Marcos Lopez said at the time. “He’s a sick guy.”