Smiling beach club chef is exposed as fugitive who’s been on the run for 14 years over claims he staged kidnapping of his girlfriend to end their relationship

A California beach club chef has been unmasked as an Iowa fugitive who has been on the run for over a decade.

Brian Anthony Williams, 50, was arrested in San Diego on October 6 on several outstanding warrants from Iowa, the US Marshals Service (USMS) announced.

He had lived under the alias Troy Williams and worked as the head chef at Miss B’s Coconut Club in Mission Beach since he fled the Hawkeye State in 2012.

Williams had been wanted in Scott County, Iowa, for the alleged staged kidnapping, assault and shooting of his girlfriend, Brittany Hamilton, because he wanted to end their relationship, NBC San Diego reported.

Police said Williams and Hamilton were living together at the time when he conspired with three other men to have them both duct-taped and taken to a field on October 8, 2012.

Hamilton was shot in the leg and left in a ditch, while Williams allegedly went to a local truck stop to report the incident, according to local news reports.

Williams and the other men also allegedly set fire to Hamilton’s new boyfriend’s house, but no one was injured. 

He was charged with first-degree kidnapping, assault, willful injury causing serious injury, conspiracy to commit a felony and first-degree arson for his alleged role.

However, he fled the state and had been on the run for nearly 14 years before USMS received information in September that he had been living in San Diego. 

During his time in California, Williams appeared in local publications and television news reports under his new identity.

In February, he was featured in the Times of San Diego piece where he reflected on growing up in New York City. He did not seem to mention his past in Iowa in the article.

Eddie Jurado, the general manager at Miss B’s Coconut Club, told NBC San Diego he used to live with Williams and his arrest is a huge shock for their community.

‘We don’t know who he was. Like who is he? He was a good guy here. Loved by everybody,’ said Jurado.

He said to KGTV: ‘I want to feel a certain way, but then I feel a different way because the Troy we knew is not that same guy that did that.’ 

Williams appeared in court on Monday and acknowledged that he is in fact the man wanted in Iowa.

‘Do you acknowledge that you are the Brian Anthony Williams who is wanted by the county, Scott County, in Iowa?’ the judge asked.

Williams replied: ‘Yes.’  

The judge then ordered that he be extradited back to Iowa, but there is no official date set. The judge set a status hearing for 30 days to ensure he has been moved.

Ted Kamatchus, the US Marshal for the Southern District of Iowa, said: ‘This arrest is a perfect example of those who think they have bested law enforcement and evaded arrest.

‘Deputy US Marshals remain resolute in their relentless pursuit of the most dangerous offenders in our society.’

The Daily Mail contacted Miss B’s Coconut Club for comment.