Top 10 Costa Rica

Florida fugitive wanted: Julio Bonchea

Featured in Florida’s 12 Days of Fugitives is escaped convict Julio Bonchea. Julio Bonchea goes by the aliases Julio Bonachea, Manuel Tata Rodriguez, and Miguel Tata Rodriguez. On August 8, 1998, Julio Bonchea was convicted and sentenced to sever 18 years in prison for attempted murder. Julio was convicted of leading a home invasion burglary that resulted in one victim being stabbed and another victim being shot multiple times. He had been charged with attempted murder, burglary, grand larceny, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. On March 26, 2000, Julio Bonchea escaped from the Calhoun Correctional Institution.

Julio was later arrested in June 20001 in San Jose, Costa Rica; again he was charged with attempted murder. Julio Bonchea was sentenced to serve 11 years in a Costa Rican prison but escaped a second time in June 2005. It is unclear if Bonchea remained in Costa Rica or moved to Cuba as he has family members there. It is possible that he is in South or Central America as well. He has worked in various sales jobs and in the traveling industry and is fluent in both Spanish and English.

“This fugitive is the first to be featured as he has the dubious distinction of being highly violent and escaping from a Florida Prison and a foreign jail. He has family in Cuba and South Florida connections but could be living undetected in any Spanish-speaking community anywhere,” said FDLE Tampa Bay Special Agent in Charge Jim Madden.

Julio Bonchea stands 5’7” and weighed approximately 155 pounds at the time of his escape. He has brown hair and brown eyes and may be using his assumed aliases and working in sales, insurance, telemarketing, or the travel industry.

There is a cash reward offered for Julio Bonchea under the 12 Days of Fugitives program. If you have information regarding Julio Bonchea’s whereabouts you are asked to call (1-877-FLA Wanted) or email: FLAWanted@fdle.state.fl.us