‘Master of Disguise’ Tyler Adams is arrested in California after four-year manhunt: Serial fraudster is a suspect in girlfriend’s death in Mexico

A fugitive criminal who declared himself a 'master of disguises' and is suspected of killing his girlfriend has been arrested after a four-year manhunt.

Tyler Adams, 51, was arrested in Newport Beach, California and will be extradited this week to Hawaii, where he has been wanted since escaping state prison in 2019.

The FBI has publicly sought Adams for questioning in connection with the 2022 death of his girlfriend Racquel Sabean, whose body was found in a cooler in the trunk of a car in Tijuana, Mexico.

Adams was in the O'ahu Community Correctional Center on two theft convictions when he failed to return from work leave on May 21, 2019.

In September 2020, an O'ahu Circuit Court judge issued a $50,000 warrant for Adams' arrest on a second-degree escape charge, a class C felony.

Adams's various aliases and appearances can be seen in a police handout

According to the FBI, Adams used a number of aliases, including Aaron Lee, David Smith, Dominic Braun, David Phillips, Kevin Schoolcraft, Kevin Kennedy, Michael Whittman, Lance Irwin, Brice Johnson, Matthew Kashani, Taylor Chase and Joshua Smith.

Prior to his arrest, he was last seen entering the United States under the alias “Aaron Bain” on June 16, 2022 – one day after police in Mexico questioned him about Sabean's disappearance.

Sabean's decomposing remains were later found in a Volkswagen Jetta parked on a residential street in Tijuana after locals reported a “foul odor” coming from the vehicle.

The 40-year-old's neck was broken, her father David Sabean said CBS8 News.

Adams, the father of Racquel's seven-month-old daughter Valentina, has not been charged in her death. Valentina was taken into custody after her mother disappeared.

Racquel's father said he would “bet my life” that Adams is his daughter's killer, in an interview with police. American sunand said there were some red flags.

Father David Sabean described his first meeting with Adams as a “good first impression,” but then noticed troubling “red flags.”

He said his daughter confided in him that Adams was kind and polite to her while dad was around, but it was a different story when they were alone.

Adams, the father of Racquel's then seven-month-old daughter Valentina, has not been charged in her death but is wanted for questioning by the FBI.

Sabean's decomposing remains were later found inside this Volkswagen Jetta parked on a residential street in Tijuana after locals reported a “foul odor” coming from the vehicle

David recalled that Adams claimed he was a “Mormon,” but after questioning him about his faith and noticing a tattoo, David became suspicious.

“Eventually I started to think this guy was a fake, right?” he said. 'We went to the beach, he took off his shirt. When he took off his shirt. I saw a tattoo on his left arm.'

“I know Mormon families. “I've never seen a Mormon, real Mormons… who have tattoos,” he said.

Racquel, who had worked for Adams for two years, knew him as Paul Phillips.

A day after being questioned by authorities about his girlfriend's death, Adams fled the country and crossed the border into the United States under a new alias, Aaron Bain.

On June 17, 2022, the FBI issued a release asking for the public's assistance in helping locate Adams, informing the public that he was a “fake” and a “master of disguises.”

The FBI has confirmed that they want to question him in connection with the murder.

The flyer included photos of Adams showing swelling under his eyes and listed more than a dozen aliases.

Racquel Sabean had been dating Tyler Adams (pictured together above) for two years. She knew him as Paul Phillips. The couple's daughter, Valentina, is now in pre-trial detention

FBI San Diego wrote that Adams was detained in Mexico on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in connection with an Amber Alert for his daughter. The child was later found safe with a babysitter in Mexico and remains in protective custody there.

Mexican authorities said Adams allegedly became uncooperative when they tried to question him about his girlfriend's death before crossing the border into the United States.

Video surveillance from the Tijuana neighborhood where Racquel's body was found proves her boyfriend was the killer, her father said.

He even describes the clothes Adams was wearing on the day of the alleged murder: black pants, black shoes, a black mask and black gloves.

'There is a video of it in Mexico [Adams] parking my daughter's car,” David said in part.

“I saw it with my own eyes,” Racquel's father continued.

He said Mexican police have access to the surveillance video, but said Adams has not been charged.