STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) - A Northern California judge has confirmed the identity of a man who escaped from a Hawaii psychiatric hospital, allowing prosecutors to move forward with extradition proceedings.
Judge Michael Mulvihill confirmed Randall Saito’s identity during a court appearance Tuesday in Stockton.
During a hearing last month, Saito had the option of admitting his identity and returning to Hawaii but he refused to delay his extradition. Mulvihill confirmed Saito’s identity with a mugshot, testimony from an official, and fingerprints.
Saito has been a Hawaii State Hospital patient for nearly four decades since being found not guilty by reason of insanity of a woman’s murder.
He walked out of the hospital on Nov. 12 and took a taxi to the airport. Police arrested him in Stockton three days later.
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