Convicted killer who fled Santa Ana halfway house captured in Anaheim homeless encampment
On Sunday, the Orange County District Attorney's Office released a statement that said its AB 109 Task Force had captured 19-year-old Ike Nicholas Souzer.
Souzer, who was convicted at age 13 for fatally stabbing his mother, 47-year-old Barbara Scheuer-Souzer, in May 2017, escaped Wednesday from a halfway house he was assigned to.
The OC DA's Office issued a warning on Friday, saying that "a dangerous and violent convict was at large after being released 15 months early to a halfway house."
According to OCDA Todd Spitzer, Souzer was arrested at a homeless encampment in Anaheim just before noon on Sunday.
Witnesses on the scene of the arrest detailed the moments after Souzer's arrest at Brookhurst Park.
On top of being "scary" and "crazy," they mentioned how a group of officers, with firearms drawn, converged on the park's bathroom as they celebrated Easter Sunday with family members.
"We were just with family and then all of the sudden undercovers and a whole bunch of police cars came from everywhere," said Renee Tovar.
The complete randomness of the moment had several families running for safety, unsure of what was going on.
"We were just playing and then all of a sudden I heard yelling," said Rick Carbajal. "I said, 'Oh wow!' and I just grabbed the kids and got to a safe place."
Souzer left a jacket and several toiletries in the bathroom at the time of his arrest.
Those witnesses were very grateful that Souzer was located.
"Someone like that is off the streets, so it feels better to be out and about," Tovar continued.
"We were all cheering them on, thanking them, doing their (for) job," said Chantal Jerman. "I mean that's what they're here, they're here to protect us."
Souzer has a history of escaping from custody, after fleeing from his juvenile detention center in 2019.
He also assaulted a trio of corrections officers in Dec. 2021.
Souzer's sister, Berlin, told CBS reporters, "He has gone through a lot. Mental and physical abuse. He's a troubled teen that needs help."
She continued to note that she didn't believe he was dangerous and that "what he did was self defense" since their mother "beat on him daily."
"He isn't 'extremely dangerous' like every news outlet is saying," Berlin said while speaking with CBS reporters Saturday. "If he was, they wouldn't have let him out of jail. He is Autistic and hasn't been given the correct coping skills throughout incarceration. He was never taught to deal with the problems he encounters."
