A man who featured on ‘America’s Most Wanted’ has been caught after his daughters launched a TikTok campaign to hunt him down, claiming he sexually assaulted two children.
Davie Albarran, 51, was arrested on Sunday night in Lakeland, Polk County, Florida, for sexual battery on a child under 12 and lewd conduct with a child under 12.
He was caught hiding in a shed after 451 days on the run following a campaign to find him by his daughters Ana and Yaneiry – that racked up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok – and his appearance on America’s Most Wanted.
Ana and Yaneiry claim they have been contacted by more victims since starting their campaign, other than the two cases he has been formally accused of.
Their hunt started in 2022, when his daughters say Albarran disappeared after they confronted him and accused him of assaulting their young female family member.
Davie Albarran was found hiding in a shed and arrested in Polk County on Sunday night
The sisters Ana and Yaneiry were thrilled to have their father featured on America’s Most Wanted, but it was another year before he was caught
In frustration at 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’s on the run and the cops are looking for him.’
Over the past year and a half, the sisters put up billboards, staked out motels, questioned other family members and even got their father featured on America’s Most Wanted in December 2022.
The videos they shared of their attempts to track him down racked up hundreds of thousands of views and were picked up by local news stations.
Ana Albarran, now in her 30s, alleged in an interview with WOFL that her father also acted inappropriately with her when she was young and that dozens of other victims had come forward with similar stories.
They said not all of their family was supportive – the sisters accused some of Albarran’s siblings of helping to keep him hidden and of keeping him in their homes.
They repeatedly claimed that they would not let the alleged cover-up continue in their family and that they would ‘believe’ the children who came forward.
Ana cries on camera when she finds out her father was arrested. She and her sister had been rallying support to find him for over a year
His daughters made 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
The sisters filmed a celebration video with other family members after they found out he had been caught on Monday
Albarran was featured on America’s Most Wanted, meaning his face was broadcast around the country
When the sisters finally learned he had been arrested, they filmed a celebration video, gathered with all of their family spraying a bottle of champagne and yelling in joy.
Ana said: ‘We did it, guys. My father’s in jail. After a f***ing year. Just thank you, because if it wasn’t for ya’ll he would’ve never been found, bro.’
She told WFTV9 that when she heard the news: ‘I started screaming. I was crying. I was in disbelief.’
Ana and Yaneiry said it was the ‘greatest feeling in the world’ and added ‘we are his karma.’
Describing the arrest, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said: ‘Well, he made a mistake. (America’s Most Wanted) ran him all over the nation and he came to Lakeland.
‘When he came to Lakeland, we received confidential information. They said, ‘Hey, we know where this dude is.’
His two daughters, Ana and Yaneiry, ran a year long campaign to track him down and arrest him after he disappeared in 2022
Police and a police dog tracked him down to a shed where they confronted him and arrested him
Sheriff Grady Judd said Albarran made a ‘big mistake’ coming to Lakeland
The pair worked with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to secure his arrest
‘So we snuck around Sunday night just before midnight in a backyard in Country Haven Drive. Well, it might have been Country Haven Drive, but it was no ‘haven’ 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.
There is not yet any further information as to his charges or trial.
Back in December 2022, Sheriff Marcos Lopez said: ‘Now it’s time to catch this trash. This monster. There’s no other way to describe this garbage. Arrest him and stick him in jail for 100 years.
‘Taking away children’s innocence,’ Osceola Sheriff Marcos Lopez said at the time. ‘He’s a sick guy.’