BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A 74-year-old Italian convicted of terrorism-related crimes for his involvement in a far-left militant group escaped house arrest in Buenos Aires by descending from a fifth-floor apartment using a harness and rope, prompting a nationwide search as he awaited extradition to Italy.
Leonardo Bertulazzi, a former member of Italy’s Red Brigades, was under house arrest after Argentina’s Supreme Court approved his extradition last year to serve a 27-year prison sentence in Italy.
Bertulazzi used ropes and a harness to descend from the fifth floor onto the second-floor terrace of a neighboring house Tuesday, police officials told The Associated Press. From there, he climbed down to a first-floor terrace, made his way to a vacant lot and escaped onto the street by climbing over a gate. He remained on the run on Wednesday.
Authorities did not immediately detect his escape after he tampered with his electronic ankle monitor. The police officials said that Bertulazzi placed the monitor inside a device containing a thermal blanket to maintain its temperature, along with grease or animal fat apparently intended to keep moisture.
Police also confirmed that explosives specialists were sent to the apartment to examine the device, which had been made to resemble an explosive.
According to Argentine court records, Bertulazzi was convicted by Italian courts in the 1980s of terrorism-related crimes, resulting in a combined 27-year prison sentence.
Bertulazzi belonged to the Genoa branch of the Red Brigades, a far-left militant organization responsible for a wave of kidnappings and killings in Italy during the 1970s and 1980s. The group kidnapped and murdered former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro in 1978, one of the group’s most notorious attacks. Argentine authorities have said Bertulazzi was involved in the logistics of Moro’s kidnapping.
Argentina’s Security Ministry offered a reward of 20 million pesos (about $13,000) on Tuesday for information leading to Bertulazzi’s capture.
On Tuesday, Wanda Ferro, an undersecretary in Italy’s Interior Ministry, said Argentine police were responsible for ensuring Bertulazzi was handed over to Italian authorities.
“I am certain that every effort will be made and that there will be appropriate dialogue to ensure — we hope — that he is brought back into custody and, above all, that extradition can take place very quickly if he is recaptured,” she told private broadcaster Tgcom24.
Argentine authorities first arrested Bertulazzi in November 2002 on an arrest warrant issued by Italian authorities. Italy formally requested his extradition the following month, but an Argentine federal judge rejected the request in June 2003, ruling that Italian law did not guarantee Bertulazzi a new trial after he had been convicted in absentia. Bertulazzi was granted refugee status in October 2004. In 2024, when right-wing President Javier Milei took office, Argentine authorities revoked that status and re-arrested him in August.
At the time, then-Security Minister Patricia Bullrich celebrated his capture.
“This dangerous criminal’s years of impunity are over. In this Argentina led by President Milei, those who commit crimes pay the price,” she wrote on social media.
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AP Reporter Colleen Barry contributed to this report from Milan, Italy.
FILE - Italian citizen Leonardo Bertulazzi, second left, and a unidentified female german doctor, second right, are escorted by agents inside Argentine federal court, Nov. 4, 2002 after being arrested the previous day in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (AP Photo /Natacha Pisarenko, File)
ESBJERG, Denmark (AP) — Hilary Knight scored a hat trick and defending champion United States cruised past the Czech Republic 8-1 at the women’s ice hockey world championship on Wednesday to finish the preliminary stage with a perfect record.
Knight buried her own rebound a to make it 2-0 in the opening frame and found a space in between the pads of Czech goaltender Aneta Senkova from the right circle early in the second.
She added her third with a short-handed goal in the third period to increase the margin to seven in the Group A game in Esbjerg.
The 37-year-old U.S. captain took her tally to six goals in the tournament in Denmark and a total of 73 goals in 91 games at the worlds.
Abbey Murphy scored twice, Alex Carpenter and Laila Edwards got a goal and an assist each and Grace Zumwinkle had one goal. Goaltender Aerin Frankel stopped 11 shots.
Murphy opened the scoring from the low slot 0:53 into the game and one-timed a slap shot to increase the advantage to 4-0.
After that goal, the Czechs pulled Senkova and replace her with Daniela Novakova.
Zumwinkle added to the lead and Edwards used a 5-on-3 advantage to score the sixth late in the second.
Taylor Fox also got three assists for the Americans, who will play host Denmark in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Natalie Mlynkova scored the consolation goal for the Czechs who finished fourth to set up a quarterfinal game against Canada.
The Canadians won Group B with a perfect record after blanking Finland 2-0.
Goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens finished with 25 saves for the shutout, the third straight for Canada in Group B.
Caitlin Kraemer scored the go-ahead goal in the opening period after she skated from her defensive zone along the boards before beating Finland goalie Sanni Ahola.
Sarah Fillier added the second in the final period.
Finland captain Jenni Hiirikoski, who is playing at a record 17th worlds, became the first woman to play 100 games at the tournament.
In another Group B game, Wilma Sundin led Sweden's 5-0 shutout of Japan with two goals. The Swedes face Switzerland while Finland plays Germany next.
Earlier in Group A, Germany rallied to beat Switzerland 3-1 after Laura Kluge and Katarina Jobst-Smith scored 55 seconds apart in the middle period to give the Germans the lead.
Alessia Baechler had given Switzerland the lead in the opening period.
See AP’s full women’s hockey coverage here
United States' Hilary Knight controls the puck during a Group A match between Unites States and Czechia at the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Esbjerg, Denmark, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Czechia's goaltender Daniela Novakova makes a save against United States' Tessa Janecke during a Group A match between Unites States and Czechia at the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Esbjerg, Denmark, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Czechia's goaltender Aneta Senkova fails to make a save during a Group A match between Unites States and Czechia at the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Esbjerg, Denmark, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
United States' Abbey Murphy celebrates after scoring her side's first goal during a Group A match between Unites States and Czechia at the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Esbjerg, Denmark, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
United States' Hilary Knight, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring her side's third goal during a Group A match between Unites States and Czechia at the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Esbjerg, Denmark, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Germany's goaltender Sandra Abstreiter fails to make a save during a Group A match between Germany and Switzerland at the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Esbjerg, Denmark, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Germany's Celina Haider, right, checks Switzerland's Alessia Baechler during a Group A match between Germany and Switzerland at the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Esbjerg, Denmark, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Germany's Emily Nix, left, celebrates with Germany's Nicola Hadraschek after scoring her side's third goal during a Group A match between Germany and Switzerland at the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Esbjerg, Denmark, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Germany's Celina Haider, right, checks Switzerland's Alessia Baechler during a Group A match between Germany and Switzerland at the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Esbjerg, Denmark, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Switzerland's goaltender Saskia Maurer makes a save against Germany's Nicola Hadraschek during a Group A match between Germany and Switzerland at the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship in Esbjerg, Denmark, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
