TV Show May Have Helped Catch Fugitive Molester

A TV show may have spelled the end for fugitive and accused child molester Charles Mozdir, who was killed during a shootout with police in a Manhattan smoke shop yesterday, reports PIX11. In 2012, Mozdir was accused in California of molesting a friend's sick 7-year-old boy he was tasked to watch over … while the child's exhausted mother slept in the same bed, the LA Times reports. After that alleged incident, Mozdir, 32, missed his arraignment and spent two years on the run. Police lost his trail in Georgia.

But when CNN’s The Hunt with John Walsh told Mozdir’s story on July 20 and again on Sunday, someone apparently recognized him. A show spokeswoman claims a tip led cops to Mozdir, though police aren't confirming. When confronted, Mozdir shot a detective and two US marshals, but none suffered life-threatening injuries. It's not clear whether Mozdir was killed by police or by his own gun. (More NYC stories.)