Sacramento,
CA -- Richard R. Baker, Special Agent in Charge of the Sacramento
Division of the FBI, U.S. Marshal Jerry Enomoto and Sacramento
County Sheriff Lou Blanas announce the Federal Bureau of Investigation
today placed Nikolay Soltys on its "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives"
list. Nikolay Soltys is being sought for the murder of six of
his family members in and around the Sacramento, California area.
Soltys should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.
On August
20, 2001, Nikolay Soltys allegedly stabbed his 23-year-old pregnant
wife to death in their North Highlands, California home. He reportedly
then drove to the home of his aunt and uncle where he is suspected
of killing the couple and his two young cousins. After the first
five murders, Soltys allegedly drove to his mother's house and
picked up his three-year-old son. Later that evening, Soltys'
car was found in the vicinity of his mother's house. During a
search of the vehicle, a note was recovered with information
regarding the location of Soltys' son. On August 21, 2001, investigators
located the boy's body in an empty field in Roseville, California.
A state arrest warrant for murder was issued for Nikolay Soltys
on August 20, 2001, by the California Superior Court for the
County of Sacramento in Sacramento, California. Then, on August
21, 2001, the United States District Court for the Eastern District
of California issued a federal arrest warrant charging Soltys
with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Nikolay
Soltys is described as a White male, 6'0", 165 pounds, with
blond or brown hair and blue eyes. He was born in Ukraine on
May 19, 1974, and speaks broken English with an accent. Soltys
uses the following aliases: Mykola Soltys, Nikolay A. Soltys,
Nikolay Alekseyevi Soltys. Soltys has ties to Canada; New York;
California, Seattle, Washington; and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Nikolay
Soltys is the 466th person to be placed on the FBI's "Ten
Most Wanted Fugitives" list, which began in 1950. Since
then, 437 fugitives have been apprehended or located, 139 of
them as a result of citizen cooperation.
The federal
fugitive investigation is being coordinated jointly by the FBI
and the United States Marshals Service. A reward of up to $50,000
is being offered for any information leading directly to the
arrest of Nikolay Soltys. Individuals with information concerning
Nikolay Soltys should take no action themselves, but instead
immediately contact the nearest office of the FBI, United States
Marshals Service, or local law enforcement agency. For any possible
sighting outside the United States, contact the nearest U.S.
Embassy or Consulate.
Further
information about Nikolay Soltys, including his wanted poster,
is available on the FBI's Internet Home Page. The FBI's Internet
Home Page address is: http://www.fbi.gov.
The Sacramento
Sheriff's Department has also established two 24-hour tip lines
for information concerning Soltys: (916) 874-5321 and (916) 874-5414.
Sacramento Media Contacts: FBI Special Agent Nick Rossi (916)
977-2258 Sheriff's Sgt. James Lewis (916) 874-5021