'America's Most Wanted' suspect captured in Hastings

A man who had been featured on "America's Most Wanted" for killing

his girlfriend in Florida two years ago was arrested Saturday at the

Pleasant Hill Library in Hastings.

Abraham Mpaka, 46, was arrested at the library and is being held at

the Dakota County jail.

Mpaka was featured on America's Most Wanted three times.

America's Most Wanted had this summary of his arrest on their website:

An AMW tipster was surfing the web when she saw a story on AMW.com

about our plans to profile accused killer Abraham Mpaka in our

broadcast of March 12, 2011. She was shocked at how he resembled her

friend's boyfriend, Larry Holmes.

The tipster called in the information into the AMW Hotline. Like

every other lead, this information was taken very seriously by

Detective Tracy Lystad of the North Miami Beach Police Department.

Detective Lystad had a good feeling about this tip and sent it off to

Minnesota to be followed up on by the FBI.

That information led agents to another girlfriend of Mpaka's, who

then led agents to more girlfriends. After talking to six women in

Minnesota, FBI agents had active information.

That information came just hours before the March 12, 2011, broadcast.

FBI agents and the local Hastings Police Department were told that

Mpaka was running an errand with his girlfriend's van. Cops followed

up on that information.

At first they didn't find the van at the local store where it was

supposed to be. Acting on information that Mpaka liked to hang out

at local public libraries, officers from the Hastings Police

Department found the van.

Officers and agents entered the small town library and inside they

found Mpaka at a computer station.

FBI Agent Dan Otterson said, "He was arrested without incident."

Mpaka was charged with murder and unlawful flight to avoid

prosecution. He awaits extradition back to Florida, where he will

face justice.

Agent Otterson said, "I've been doing this for a long time. AMW has

been good to the FBI and our fugitive program. We're glad to help out

in this case."

As for the North Miami Beach lead detective, Tracy Lystad, she was

elated. She said, "I was in disbelief. I knew it would happen but

not sure when."

Detective Lystad credited the AMW tipster who did the right thing,

"I'm grateful to AMW. I wanted to get Mpaka before he would do it

again. He killed once, there's nothing to say he wouldn't do it

again. And we did it!"

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