Families of DUI Crash Victims Relieved After Fugitive Brought Back to Tampa From Colombia

Families of DUI crash victims relieved after fugitive brought back to Tampa from Colombia

TAMPA, Fla., (WFLA) - A former Polk County Sheriff's Deputy who left the country after being charged with multiple counts of DUI manslaughter, is now back on U.S. soil, and in jail. Tampa Police and the U.S. Marshals Service worked together to arrest Joshua Roelofs. TPD said he was arrested in Columbia and brought back. Wednesday afternoon, Roelofs was denied bond in court. "It's just a nightmare to know that my brother died alone there on the p…

Ex-cop skips DUI manslaughter trial and is caught at Colombian hotel, FL cops say

A former deputy fled the country to escape prosecution on 2022 DUI manslaughter charges in Florida, and now he’s been re-arrested, Tampa fugitive police say.

Fugitive ex-cop arrested 4 months after skipping Tampa trial in fatal DUI

Joshua Roelofs, accused of causing the deaths of two men, was booked in jail late Tuesday.

Tampa police arrest fugitive accused of fleeing the country after missing a court appearance

A man who fled the country after being accused of DUI manslaughter is back in custody, Tampa police announced.

Former Florida deputy who skipped DUI manslaughter trial caught in Colombia: TPD

Tampa police say the former Polk County deputy who no-showed his trial for DUI manslaughter earlier this year has been captured in Colombia after months on the run.

Man captured in Colombia after fleeing from Tampa following release on bail in a double fatality crash

TAMPA, FL. (August 20, 2025) – – Tampa Police Officers, working with the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Apprehension Unit, have successfully apprehended and arrested 36-year-old Joshua Roelofs, who had fled the country after failing to appear in court on charges including two counts of DUI Manslaughter. He is a former Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy who was reportedly terminated in 2015. Information on the crash that occurred on the Courtney Campbe…