Iowa fugitive who faked own kidnapping caught working as San Diego chef
For more than a decade, a man wanted on serious felony charges in Iowa evaded capture by hiding in plain sight as a popular San Diego chef. That all came to an end this week when U.S. Marshals arrested Brian Anthony Williams, 50, at the Mission Beach restaurant where he had been working under the alias Troy Williams.
Williams faces charges related to the October 2012 kidnapping of a woman in Davenport, Iowa, who authorities say was his girlfriend at the time. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, the victim was shot in the leg and left in a field. Williams allegedly conspired with three others to stage his own abduction alongside hers.
What charges does the Iowa fugitive face?
Williams was charged in 2012 with kidnapping, assault, conspiracy to commit a felony, and first-degree arson. The following year, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Iowa added a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
The arrest came after the U.S. Marshals Service learned last month of Williams' whereabouts and assumed identity. His appearances in local media, including a sympathetic feature story about his rise in the culinary world, may have helped tip off authorities.
How did the fugitive evade capture for so long?
Williams had been living under the alias Troy Williams and worked his way up from line cook to head chef at Miss B's Coconut Club, a Caribbean restaurant in Mission Beach. He was well-liked and trusted by colleagues, some of whom considered him a close friend.
Eddie Jurado, the restaurant's general manager, told NBC San Diego that the revelation has been shocking for the staff.
This is crazy, we've been through it. I've been here 10½ years, he's been here 10½ years. He's been running that kitchen for about eight or nine, once our first chef left and he took it over. We've been through COVID. I was his roommate for a while and he's not even Troy.
Pete Cich, managing partner of the restaurant, said in a statement that the arrest of the man known as Troy has been deeply unsettling.
Our thoughts are with the people harmed in the events described by authorities.
What happens next for Brian Anthony Williams?
Williams was taken into custody without incident and is awaiting extradition to Iowa. U.S. Marshal Ted Kamatchus of the Southern District of Iowa emphasized the significance of the arrest.
This arrest is a perfect example of those who think they have bested law enforcement and evaded arrest.
The Times of San Diego, which published a feature on Williams in February, appended an editor's note explaining that he was arrested on charges related to a 14-year-old kidnapping in Iowa and had been living under a false identity.
Frequently asked questions about the case
Who is Brian Anthony Williams?
Brian Anthony Williams, 50, is an Iowa fugitive who was arrested in San Diego on October 10, 2026. He had been living under the alias Troy Williams and working as a head chef at Miss B's Coconut Club in Mission Beach.
What was Williams charged with in Iowa?
Williams faces charges of kidnapping, assault, conspiracy to commit a felony, and first-degree arson related to a 2012 incident in Davenport, Iowa. He was also charged federally with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
How was the fugitive finally caught?
The U.S. Marshals Service learned of Williams' whereabouts and assumed identity last month. His appearances in local media may have contributed to his discovery.
What happened to the kidnapping victim?
According to authorities, the woman was shot in the leg and abandoned in a field in Davenport, Iowa, in October 2012. Williams allegedly conspired with three others to fake his own abduction alongside hers.