Witness On Takedown Of 'Cocaine Cowboy': 'Pretty Exciting' For Such 'A Quiet Neighborhood'
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ORLANDO (CBSMiami) – It is hard to imagine one of the final chapters of the legendary Cocaine Cowboys-era would come to a close in a quiet neighborhood in a suburban area of Orlando.
But that is indeed where Gustavo Falcon was apprehended by U.S. Marshals and neighbors can't believe it.
"When I write my memoirs it's another wee bit of a story I can tell," Arthur Crawford said.
Arthur and Andrena Crawford live just a few doors down from the house were Falcon and his wife, Amelia Falcon, were living under the assumed identity of Lewis and Maria Reiss.
"Can you imagine being on the run for 26 years?" CBS4's Jim DeFede asked the Crawfords.
"No," Arthur Crawford said flatly.
"They were lucky weren't they," Andrena added.
That luck started to run out a month ago when U.S. Marshals were tipped off about the false name they were living under and discovered that the 'Reisses' were involved in a traffic accident in Kissimmee.
As a result, marshals concentrated their efforts on Central Florida and turned up a rental agreement for a house.
Related: 'Cocaine Cowboy' Caught In Florida After 26 Years On The Run
"These days I'm not surprised. You never know who you are living next to," said neighbor Damien Drennan.
Marshals for Miami and Orlando began to watch the house, still not certain the man inside was Gustavo Falcon. On Wednesday, marshals followed Gustavo Falcon and his wife as they went on a 40-mile bike ride.
According to witnesses who saw the arrest, Gustavo Falcon and his wife came down the street on their bicycles and the marshals were waiting for them, blocking off an intersection.
As he turned the corner, the marshals knocked him off his bicycle. They took him down on the ground and then handcuffed him to a tree.
Related: 'Cocaine Cowboy' To Be Extradited To Miami After 26 Years On The Run
Drennan was there when the marshals moved in.
"I couldn't believe it. When I saw that, we had no idea what they did to receive that," he said. "These people riding their bikes all the time."
Another neighbor, who asked that we not use their name, summed up the feelings of the entire community.
"Pretty exciting," she said.
"Crazy?" DeFede asked.
"Yeah, it is. Especially in a quiet neighborhood like this," she added.
As Gustavo Falcon begins the process of moving his way through the court system, his older brother, Willy Falcon, is scheduled to be released from prison in June.
