Home Seller Discovers Buyer Was FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitive

An individual who sold his secluded residence to a person later identified as being on the FBI’s most wanted list commented that the property was an ideal spot “if you wanted to keep your head down”. Daniel Andreas San Diego acquired the house, situated near Llanrwst in north Wales, for £425,000 in August 2023, conducting the purchase under the alias Danny Webb. On Monday, Mr. San Diego, who had a $250,000 (£199,000) reward offered for his capture, was apprehended in Maenan. This arrest occurred after he had evaded authorities for 21 years, subsequent to two explosions in San Francisco in 2003 for which he was a suspect. Aled Evans stated, “He was quite excited because there was a big woodland at the back, he was into his mountain biking and that’s what sold it to him, apparently.” He further informed BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that “It sounded like the ideal place he wanted – but he wanted it for other reasons.” Maenan is located directly off the A470, a primary thoroughfare traversing north Wales, approximately 10 miles (16km) from Conwy. It constitutes an expansive area characterized by farms and secluded cottages, a significant number of which are currently utilized as holiday residences or rentals. The community lacks a shop or a village pub. A considerable number of properties observed en route to Llidiart y Coed give the impression of being holiday homes. Two local residents reported minimal or no interaction with the individual who had been a fugitive for two decades. One resident identified a black Seat Leon vehicle parked in the vicinity as belonging to San Diego. Neither individual appeared to have had direct contact with him. The residence in question is a white villa featuring a balcony that provides impressive vistas of undulating hills and a meticulously maintained garden. During a BBC visit, a set of keys was observed hanging from the lock of an interior glass door, and cooking utensils and dishes were scattered across the kitchen sink and worktop. A chalk message on a slate board, left for refuse collectors over a year prior by the former family of four residents, greets visitors walking down the garden path. It appeared Mr. San Diego was not in a rush to personalize the property. Immediately inside the entrance, a pair of heavy-duty wellington boots lay discarded amidst a small accumulation of clothes, unopened mail, and various high-end power tools. All indications suggested that this residence had been vacated in haste, reminiscent of a classic detective narrative. Mr. Evans noted that the house was not “in the middle of nowhere” but was situated along an unpaved track on a “quite a busy” public footpath traversing the woodland. He further stated that Mr. San Diego proposed an offer £15,000 above the listed asking price. Mr. Evans recounted, “The day of the viewing he spent considerable time on the balcony looking at the view and that’s what sold it to him, apparently.” He informed the BBC that “Danny” expressed enthusiasm for utilizing the rear woodland for mountain biking, yet Mr. Evans found it peculiar that he appeared unconcerned about incomplete repair work on a damaged summer house. Mr. Evans characterized Mr. San Diego as an amiable, reserved individual who indicated that his employment in IT had led him to Wales. He stated, “I thought he was a Canadian and not an American,” further describing him as softly spoken. He informed BBC Radio Cymru’s Dros Frecwast that he observed Mr. San Diego for approximately 20 minutes on the day the latter moved into the property. He remarked, “He wasn’t in a hurry and was very cool about the whole situation,” also noting that the neighbors “never saw him.” He learned of Mr. San Diego’s arrest only after a former neighbor contacted him by phone to relay the surprising information. “It hasn’t sunk in yet. But it hasn’t affected us, of course. You couldn’t make it up,” he commented. He added, “It was a perfect place to hide and he was besotted with the view from the house. His view for the foreseeable future won’t be half as good.” Suzanne Thomas, Mr. Evans’ partner, recalled engaging in conversation with Mr. San Diego, characterizing him as “genuinely a nice chap.” She further stated: “I know that his main residence was in Mold at the time, I think that’s what he said.“It was as if he’d found his place, if you like. I think he fell in love with it really.” She did, nonetheless, acknowledge harboring suspicions when Mr. San Diego’s solicitor omitted requests for planning checks or other standard inquiries typically associated with a property acquisition. Ms. Thomas mentioned that he had established friendships locally, elaborating: “Just this morning I spoke to a lady, quite by chance. “I said what had happened to our property and she said ‘I know him, Danny Webb’.“She said she’d been to the pub with him, her husband had gone climbing with him. They’d spent quite a bit of time with him over the last few months.“He was clearly socialising and enjoying the environment.” Upon the FBI’s apprehension of the individual, he was discovered residing at the terminus of a lengthy, narrow track that constitutes a segment of the footpath on a steep, densely forested hill, which ascends towards the well-known Cadair Ifan Goch viewing point and its spectacular panoramas of the Carneddau mountains of Eryri. Llidiart y Coed enjoys the identical impressive scenery. Extensive sections of the Conwy river are distinctly visible below, winding towards the sea several miles to the north, concurrently with the icy facade of Carnedd Llewelyn shimmering in the far distance. Only the subtle drone of traffic emanating from the A470 serves as a reminder of the proximity to contemporary civilization. Llidiart y Coed was formerly a modest, two-story Welsh cottage. However, a substantial, single-story flat-roof extension, covered with a late November frost, now serves as the primary living space. Information regarding how the individual known locally as Danny Webb resided in this Welsh haven may, potentially, surface in the forthcoming days. There are indications he was an enthusiastic mountain biker, and a wetsuit observed hanging just inside a door suggests an individual who appreciated outdoor activities. Nevertheless, following two decades as a fugitive, Daniel Andreas San Diego’s subsequent dwelling, presumably a prison cell, is anticipated to be considerably dissimilar. The FBI has leveled accusations against Mr. San Diego, identifying him as “an animal rights extremist” implicated in multiple bombings in San Francisco. The initial bombing occurred in August 2003, outside the Chiron Life Science Center in Emeryville, California. A second explosive device was discovered at the location by authorities but detonated prior to its defusal. The agency indicated that this circumstance suggested the possibility that the device was intentionally placed to target first responders. Under a month subsequent, in September 2003, a nail bomb detonated outside a nutritional products corporation situated in Pleasanton, California. He was designated as the inaugural “domestic terrorist” to be included on the agency’s most wanted terrorist list, which was established by then-President George W. Bush in October 2001 following the 9/11 attacks. Mr. San Diego’s name appeared on this list alongside Osama Bin Laden, who is widely believed to have orchestrated the 9/11 attacks and was killed by US forces in Pakistan in 2011. Michael J. Heimbach, the FBI’s assistant director of the counter-terrorism division, stated that the suspect had perpetrated “domestic acts of terror planned out and possibly intended to take lives.” Reports indicate that the agency’s final observation of him occurred in 2003 when FBI agents were in close proximity in downtown San Francisco. FBI agent David Johnson remarked in 2013, “He parked his car, got out of his vehicle and started walking down the street and, if I’m not mistaken, he went into a Bart [train] station and that was the last time we’ve seen him.” Additional reporting was provided by Antonia Matthews. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. 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