Suspect nabbed while watching ‘America’s Most Wanted’

Keith Paul

Tuesday, Feb. 29, 2000 | 11:22 a.m.

Apparently those who are wanted also watch "America's Most Wanted."

Richard Garber heard that he may soon be on the television show that profiles wanted suspects in crimes, so he was catching Saturday night's broadcast in a home in the 900 block of Sierra Vista Drive.

As Garber, who is wanted on a murder warrant out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was watching, police from the criminal apprehension team were outside. They entered the home and found the 54-year-old man hiding inside the shower.

"America's Most Wanted" was still tuned in when the detectives went into the house.

"He was watching it. He had information that led him to believe he was going to be on the show in the next couple of weeks," said Sgt. Alfredo Cervantes of the criminal apprehension team, which is made up of local and federal law enforcement. "If he was on there, he most likely would have tried to change his appearance."

Garber didn't make Saturday's "America's Most Wanted" show, but his story was going to be on in the coming weeks or months, said Avery Mann, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C., based program.

"We have a lot of people watching the show and some of them may be the ones on the show," Mann said. "There are a lot of people fearing they may be on it and watch to see if they are."

Two Broward County Sheriff's Office detectives were in Las Vegas Monday to talk to Garber, accused of the July 1999 beating death of Janio Moraes. He was held in the Clark County Detention Center without bond pending an extradition hearing.

Florida detectives were in Las Vegas about seven months ago with information that Garber was in town, but they didn't locate him. Since then, the local criminal apprehension team has been checking on places he may be staying in Las Vegas. He apparently was living in California but came into Las Vegas on occasion, Cervantes said.

While Garber didn't get to finish watching "America's Most Wanted" this past weekend, he may have many other chances.

"We're apparently the No. 1-watched show in prisons," Mann said. "One guy got stabbed in prison for trying to change the channel when 'America's Most Wanted' was on."