Bounty hunter helps nab bounty hunter

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2000 | 10:28 a.m.

A bounty hunter once featured on a syndicated television show capturing fugitives in Las Vegas, today is sitting in the Clark County Detention Center facing felony charges in Seattle and possible local charges.

Donovan Owsley, 30, was arrested Friday by the Criminal Apprehension Team, a multijurisdictional group designed to nab fugitives who come to Las Vegas.

Assisting in the arrest was Steve Sanzeri, a California bail bondsman and Owsley's former employer, who as a field producer for the TV series "Bounty Hunters" had featured Owsley capturing fugitives on episodes of the show.

Sanzeri also had put up $50,000 bail for Owsley, who was charged in Seattle with false imprisonment in connection with an incident where suspected drug dealers allegedly were beaten and extorted.

"I was running out of time -- I had just seven days to find him or I would lose the (bail) money (to the court)," Sanzeri, a former police officer who also is a bounty hunter, said Monday in a telephone interview from his bond business in Murphys, Calif. "I guess you can call this one 'the bounty hunter captures the bounty hunter.' "

Owsley also faces two local contempt-of-court charges and could face possible local fraud charges.

During his two-week search in Las Vegas Sanzeri almost ran into Owsley by accident when he went to a stationery supply store to have 500 posters of the fugitive made. Ironically, it was the same store where Owsley had business cards printed. He was supposed to pick them up on the day Sanzeri came in but did not show up.

Sanzeri located Owsley, who told him several times he would turn himself in but then would not show up.

Sanzeri contacted Metro Police Sgt. Al Cervantes, who had arrested Owsley in Las Vegas in 1997 on the original charge out of Seattle. Owsley was bailed out following that arrest.

"I arrested him 2 1/2 years ago following a high-speed pursuit," said Cervantes, who also was in on Friday's arrest of Owsley. "He had two guns and was dressed in body armor (during the 1997 incident)."