Judge Orders Escapee Back to California

A federal magistrate Thursday ordered the extradition of Michael Wayde Mohon to California to face charges of attempted murder in an attack on a reserve police officer from Fountain Valley.

U.S. Magistrate Bert W. Milling ordered Mohon, 43, held in federal custody until he is returned to California. No bail was set.

Mohon, who waived a hearing on his transfer to California, was arrested in Eight Mile, Ala., on Wednesday by FBI agents on information provided by a woman who viewed a segment of the NBC television program titled “Unsolved Mysteries.” Mohon has been charged with unlawful flight to avoid state prosecution, FBI spokesman Doug Marshall said.

Mohon was wanted for the 1983 attempted murder of Kevin Arnold, a reserve Fountain Valley police officer, after an alleged burglary attempt in Huntington Beach, and for escape from the Orange County Jail in January, 1985, and from Phoenix authorities 2 weeks later.

Wife Arrested

Arrested along with Mohon was his wife, Sharon Rose Mohon, 34, Marshall said. She is in state custody on charges of aiding in her husband’s escape and for parole violations, he said.

The couple, who had been in the Mobile area since January, 1988, were using the names Steve and Mary Bostwick when arrested, Marshall said.

Mohon, who had been working as a self-employed painter, was arrested as he was leaving an auto parts store. His wife was arrested as she sat in a car nearby.

The couple had been living in a camper.

Mohon had been under surveillance by the FBI since Wednesday morning, Marshall said. The name of the woman who identified Mohon while watching “Unsolved Mysteries” on April 12 is being withheld at this time.

Marshall said a search of Mohon’s camper by FBI agents uncovered a number of handguns.