A man convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in California has been returned to the United States for sentencing, 13 years after fleeing to Kenya.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified the fugitive as Sancho Kibutu, who was arrested by Kenyan authorities in Nairobi on September 9, 2026, at the request of the United States. He was extradited to the US on October 23.
According to US court records, Kibutu caused a fatal crash on August 13, 2011, when his vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic on Golden State Boulevard in Madera County, California, and collided head-on with another vehicle carrying four people.
Kibutu, who was intoxicated, sustained minor injuries in the collision. One passenger in the other vehicle died, while three others suffered serious injuries.
A Madera County jury convicted Kibutu of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated on April 13, 2013, following a three-day trial.
He was scheduled to return to court for sentencing on October 28, 2013, but fled to Kenya before the hearing, according to the FBI.
FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh said Kibutu had fled to avoid responsibility for the fatal crash, adding that the agency continued working with domestic and international law enforcement partners to ensure defendants faced justice.
The FBI thanked Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for helping track down Kibutu and secure his extradition.
The US Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs worked alongside the Madera County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI and Kenyan authorities to facilitate the arrest and extradition.
Kibutu’s return to the United States clears the way for sentencing in the case, more than a decade after he failed to appear in court.
