Fugitive convicted in 2001 killing of Sir Peter Blake nabbed

RIO DE JANEIRO – A man convicted in the killing of yachtsman Sir Peter Blake has been caught in Brazil after being on the run for more than 15 years.

Civil police spokesman Walrimar Santos told The Associated Press Thursday that Jose Irandir Cardoso was picked up during a routine patrol on the river island of Marajo in the northeastern state of Para. Cardoso was detained Wednesday and was carrying his brother's identification. Police discovered his true identity after running his fingerprints through their database.

Blake, an internationally famous sailor from New Zealand, was fatally shot by pirates during a visit to Brazil in 2001.

He was on a boat monitoring pollution in the Amazon as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. when his boat was attacked. Cardoso was convicted of armed robbery and later escaped.