SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa (KTIV) - A man who was living on the run for 25 years in Iowa was sentenced to prison for crimes committed in Louisiana.

According to a press release, the owner of the Asian Palace Restaurant in Spirit Lake, Choy Van Leo, was arrested on May 24, 2024, after local police were informed of an outstanding arrest warrant.

A report from KUOO Radio shows Van Leo was convicted of sex crimes involving children from 4 to 12 years old, with the incidents taking place over the course of eight years in Louisiana.

KTIV’s sister station, KPLC, reports that these incidents happened from 1992 until 2000. Authorities began investigating Van Leo in 2000.

Van Leo, who is now 61, was sentenced to life in prison without parole in Louisiana.

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