Man, 60, Held in Death of Huntington Beach Fighter
A 60-year-old man who eluded police for eight months was arrested in Oklahoma in connection with the death of a former Newport Harbor High School star wrestler, police said Wednesday.
A tip led authorities to Choctaw County, where they arrested Tommy McGuire without a struggle Oct. 9. He was extradited to California this week on suspicion of murdering Matthew Large, 23, of Huntington Beach.
Large was last seen Dec. 8, 2001, as he passed out tickets to his debut “ultimate fighting” match at the Irvine apartment complex where McGuire lived. Family members reported him missing after he failed to show up at a family gathering.
His truck was found submerged in Humboldt Bay in Northern California three weeks later. His skeletal remains were discovered in February, buried under two feet of sand on the edge of the bay. Coroner’s officials used dental records to identify him.
Meanwhile, authorities had obtained an arrest warrant for McGuire, who was later featured on “America’s Most Wanted.”
Authorities said McGuire moved to various places to elude police; he was arrested after authorities received a tip. They declined to provide information on the tip.
McGuire, a retired Orange County Transit Authority bus driver, is being held without bail at Huntington Beach City Jail.
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