Authorities stated this week that a California man convicted of murdering his mother was caught in Mexico after leaving a transitional facility without warning.According to authorities and court documents, Ike Nicholas Souzer, 20, was arrested Friday for breaking probation by failing to notify his probation officer and stay in the area.
The Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer's office cautioned on March 21, the day after Souzer left a Santa Ana transitional facility, that "This individual should be considered extremely dangerous and violent." Souzer was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for stabbing his mother to death when he was 13, and for attacking three jail guards when he was 17 or 18.
Once in detention, Souzer was convicted of possessing a weapon, a shank, in late 2022, the DA's office stated Wednesday. Souzer was found in Playas de Rosarito, a beach community south of Tijuana, the DA said. The arrest was credited to Mexican officials, CBP, Border Patrol, and the office's fugitive task team.
"He set a plan in motion to flee to a foreign country in yet another attempt to escape the consequences of his actions," Spitzer said Wednesday. Public defenders have previously represented Souzer. They did not reply to a request for comment. During his juvenile court manslaughter prosecution, a family member indicated Souzer was autistic and had outbursts, according to the DA's office.
The office alleged Souzer violated probation when he left the same transitional organization in 2022 while under required GPS monitoring for the weapons conviction. The DA's task force found Souzer at a homeless encampment, the statement said Wednesday.
Spitzer accused county judges of lax penalties in Souzer cases. It alleged the agency sought to try him as an adult for his mother's killing and requested harsher punishments in subsequent cases.
In some cases, judges counted time served and credited Souzer for good behavior, the DA said. The office named judges. An inquiry to the California Judges Association was not immediately answered.
The NGO operates the supervisorial program and transitional facility Souzer left in 2022 and March 20. It refused to discuss particular cases. Steve Kim, founder and executive director, emailed, "Project Kinship provides case management, counseling, and peer mentoring. We help addicts, gang members, and prisoners."
"Personally, I have not yet met an inherently evil person in our work — just lives shattered by trauma and mental health challenges, often leading to a loss of hope," stated. "Providing support and opportunities makes us all safer."
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