Fugitive’s Facebook updates: I am now single… and the police can’t catch me

Police in the US are trying to trace a fugitive who brazenly updates his Facebook profile while he continues to evades capture.

Travis A. Nicolaysen, 26, has given cops the slip in foot chases twice since last Wednesday. But despite the close shaves Nicolaysen seems happy to keep his Facebook page up to date, responding to posts and even changing his relationship status to “single”.

Nicolaysen has been convicted of five offences, including domestic violence, burglary and theft of a firearm. He is wanted by Washington police for failing to check in with his community corrections officer since January.

Police started to monitor Nicolaysen’s Facebook profile after their attention was drawn to a number of posts from his friends, with one of them warning “Cops all over you”. The fugitive replied “ya got away thanks bro” the next day.

Police said that Nicolaysen has been accused of assaulting his girlfriend on 28 March. The couple appear to have since split up, with
Nicolaysen changing his relationship status to “single”.

"It's normal for us to look at Facebook accounts," Deputy Chief Brian Smith said. "We're used to pinging databases and sources of information. I don't think it's going to make it any easier for him.

"In a smaller community, it's harder to disappear and be anonymous.

"We're hoping people who know him call police. People are giving him advice…and he might want to follow it."