Fresno Hatchet-Wielding YouTube Star 'Kai' Wanted For NJ Murder
CLARK, N.J. (CBS NewYork) – A man known on YouTube as "Kai, the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker" has been identified as a suspect wanted in the beating death of a New Jersey lawyer, authorities said Thursday.
Kai, whose real name is Caleb Lawrence McGillvary, 24, is wanted for murdering 73-year-old Joseph Galfy. Galfy's body was found Monday afternoon inside his home in the town of Clark.
On Tuesday, the Union County medical examiner determined Galfy died as a result of blunt force trauma, authorities said.
"He is dangerous," Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow told reporters. "We don't know where he is."
McGillvary became a YouTube sensation after he stopped a suspect who allegedly attacked a utility worker in Fresno in February.
At the time, he said he was a passenger in the suspect's car when the suspect plowed the car into a utility truck, pinning the worker between the car and the truck.
When the suspect became violent with a bystander, "Kai" pulled a hatchet from his backpack and struck the suspect in the head.
His expletive-laden interview following the incident went viral online after it was posted on YouTube. He even made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Police believe McGillvary met Galfy in Times Square over the weekend and went back with him to Galfy's home in Clark, authorities said. Police said Galfy was killed on Sunday.
Authorities said the men went back to Galfy's house for a sexual encounter, reports CBS New York.
"He was found the next morning, Monday morning, in his bedroom partially clothed. He had his underwear on, he had his socks on. He was beaten severely," said Romankow.
Family and friends gathered for Galfy's wake on Thursday.
As CBS New York′s Christine Sloan reported, Romankow added that right after the murder, the Internet star reached out to a fan and made strange comments on his Facebook page.
It read in part: "what would you do if you woke up with a groggy head….. in a strangers house…, realizing that someone had drugged, raped…. you? what would you do? [sic]"
McGillvary was last seen at a light rail station in Haddonfield and may be headed to Georgia, authorities said. They say he relies on the generosity of strangers for food, lodging and transportation.
A murder warrant has been issued for McGillvary, who also goes by the name Kai Lawrence, Caleb Kai Lawrence and Kai Nicodemus, authorities said. He has cut his hair to change his appearance and has a tattoo on his face.
"He is considered armed and dangerous. As we've learned, he has, in the past, had ability to use the back end of hatchet," Romankow said.
A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.
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