WASHINGTON
– The U.S. Marshals announced today the addition of
Joseph Elias George Ettima to the
service’s 15 Most Wanted fugitive list. Ettima is wanted in
California in connection with the murder of his grandmother. Along
with the homicide charge, he is also wanted for robbery, arson,
child endangerment and parole violation.
Ettima, who was recently paroled from prison, is accused of
allegedly killing his 69-year-old grandmother, Emma Hardwick-Street,
on Jan. 19. Authorities in Los Alamitos believe he set fire to her
body and house to cover up the crime, before he fled the area. This
crime is particularly heinous in that two young children were in the
home at the time of the murder.
One day after the murder, the Los Alamitos Police Department
requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest
Regional Fugitive Task Force.
“Ettima has demonstrated a proclivity for violence for many years;
these latest crimes reveal his complete disregard for human life.
Capturing him is one of our highest priorities,” said Director John
F. Clark of the U.S. Marshals Service. “We will use all available
resources to bring this violent criminal to justice.”
Ettima has an extensive criminal history that includes robbery,
weapons possession, manufacturing of weapons, battery and indecent
exposure. The California Department of Corrections deemed Ettima
mentally incompetent.
“Joseph Ettima has shown a complete disregard for the rule of law
and human life,” said Thomas Hession Chief Inspector of the U.S.
Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force. “Bringing
Ettima in to face these charges is the top priority of this task
force.”
Investigators believe Ettima may have fled to Mexico and received a
reported sighting of him in Tijuana on Jan. 20. He is known to wear
African or Cuban style clothing and speaks Spanish, Swahili and
Caribbean languages. He has used several aliases in the past
including Jamal Harris, Yusuf Ettima, Yusef Ettima, Yusuf Eligha and
Cuba.
Ettima is a 25-year-old black male, 5 feet, 11 inches tall and
weighs 155 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. He has scars on
his abdomen and left forearm.
A $25,000 reward is offered for information leading directly to
Ettima’s arrest. Ettima has a long history of violence with weapons.
If you have information about Joseph Elias George Ettima’s
whereabouts, immediately contact your nearest U.S. Marshals office
or call the Marshals 24-hour hotline at 1-800-336-0102.
The U.S. Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law
enforcement agency. For more information on U.S. Marshals 15 Most
Wanted fugitives and Major Cases, go to
www.usmarshals.gov.
See Wanted Poster for
Joseph Elias George Ettima |