Fugitive Santa Clara child molestation suspect Daniel Payne Thomas arrested in Shasta County

SANTA CLARA — A fugitive child molestation suspect from Santa Clara who failed to appear at a court hearing in 2015 and removed an ankle monitor in 2020 has been arrested in Shasta County, police said Friday.

Daniel Payne Thomas, 34, was wanted for multiple counts of lewd acts with minors under the age of 14 by means of force. Santa Clara police said Thomas was arrested in 2015 and was released from custody ahead of his court date, which he skipped. A Santa Clara Superior Court judge subsequently issued a warrant for Thomas’ arrest.

In 2020, detectives located Thomas in Plumas County. Police said Thomas provided several aliases to avoid detection for years. Plumas County sheriff’s deputies positively identified Thomas and arrested him; he was then taken back to Santa Clara County Jail for further criminal proceedings.  

Thomas was again released from jail, this time with an ankle monitor as a condition of his release. However, Thomas cut off his monitor and fled once again from Santa Clara County, police said.

Despite concealing his identity and whereabouts, Santa Clara police detectives determined he was likely in Shasta County. On Wednesday Santa Clara police, with the assistance of Redding police and the sheriff’s offices of Shasta and Plumas counties, arrested Thomas in Shingletown, CA without incident.

Thomas was extradited and booked once again into the Santa Clara County Jail on no-bail felony warrants for 20 counts of lewd acts with minors under age 14 by means of force, violence, duress, menace or fear; and for his previous failure to appear.