Police officer spots criminal who'd been on the run for a year while on day off at Disney World

A police officer who was off-duty on a day out at Disney World couldn't believe his eyes after spotting a criminal who had been on the run for a year.

Federal postal inspector Jeff Andre was visiting the hugely popular Disney World resort in Florida on 20 October when he spotted a criminal his force had been on the hunt for for quite some time.

While enjoying the sights of Disney's Animal Kingdom park, Andre spotted Quashon Burton, from New York, after recognising a distinctive letter H tattoo on his neck.

According to WDW News Today, Burton fled his home in Brookyln last November after being accused of fraudulently obtaining coronavirus relief aid.

Funnily enough, Andre was the first the person who signed the complaint against Burton in 2021 in the US District Court’s Southern District of New York.

Burton laid out a case for Burton's prosecution in the federal document.

He was accused of stealing at least four people's identities to take out fraudulently take out government loans of around $150,000 (£134,000).

stephen searle/Alamy Stock Photo

According to court documents, Burton used the loans to help struggling businesses during the height of the covid pandemic in 2020.

The federal court documents read: "During the scheme charged in this case, the defendant used fraudulent email accounts, fake identification documents, bank accounts and bank cards in the names of other individuals, and stolen personal identification information in a manner that created a complex web of identities that made his crimes difficult to investigate.

"He has clearly demonstrated an ability to mask his true identity to evade law enforcement. So too has he demonstrated a willingness to lie about this identity to avoid arrest."

Law enforcement went to arrest Burton on 29 November 2021 at his home in Brooklyn, New York but he was nowhere to be seen.

Authorities say Burton became a fugitive and used fake identities to get into places such as Disney World on that day in October.

Once Andre spotted Burton and his distinctive tattoo, he alerted Orange County Sheriff’s Office that a fugitive was inside the park.

The Sheriff's deputy saw a picture of Burton to make sure it was the right person before trying to detain him.

Police handout

According to a sheriff's report, Disney security tracked down Burton who was waiting just outside the park with two of his family members.

It was not easy detaining him though, as he resisted and was charged with resisting an officer without violence.

Even after fingerprint tests revealed his identity, he still refused to admit he was Quashon Burton.

In October, a magistrate ruled Burton could be granted bail as long as he had GPS monitoring, amongst other conditions.

However, on Thursday (3 November), a Southern District of New York judge ruled Burton would not be released before his trial.