Fugitive known as ‘Galician Rambo’ nabbed by neighbours after almost a year hiding out in woods

A CONVICTED murderer, who escaped from prison and became known as Rambo because he survived in the woods using his army training, has finally been arrested after almost a year on the run.

Alfredo Sanchez Chacon, 63, was in the custody of Civil Guard on Thursday after he was caught breaking into a home in the town of Valdoviño in La Coruña province to steal food.

The homeowners alerted their nearest neighbour, who happened to be an officer in the Guardia Civil, after they heard someone raiding their kitchen in the dead of night, and he gave chase as the fugitive attempted to leave, the force confirmed in a statement on Thursday.

He had been on the run after he failed to return to jail after day release last March and is thought to have been hiding out in woods ever since.

His survival skills were gleaned while serving in the Spanish Legion and Army Special Forces which is why he earned the nickname ‘Rambo’, after the movie role made famous by Sylvester Stallone.

It is the second time that Chacon had escaped from prison. The first time was back in 1999 when he escaped from Pontevedra prison reportedly by climbing out of a window using tied together sheets. He was on the run for two years before he was caught and returned to jail.

This time he eluded authorities when he failed to return to the prison after a day release permit issued last March. He was due to be released in 2025 after serving a 17 year sentence for murdering Manuel García Varela in 2002.

Last month he was spotted by a dog walker in a makeshift camp in woods within the Parc de las Fragas. The dog walker immediately called police but by the time they got to the camp it was empty.

Residents from  nearby towns have for months been reporting sightings of the fugitive as well as the theft of supplies and food from their homes.

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