NYC fugitive is found in New Castle jail

He was arrested on sexual assault charges in New Castle.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A man wanted in New York City on charges linked to an attack on his estranged wife with a machete was found in the Lawrence County Jail.
Thanks to an alert inmate at the jail who was watching television's "America's Most Wanted," police believe they have Proboodat Joucoo, who was called "The Machete Monster" on the program.
Joucoo, 45, is wanted on charges of attempted murder and assault after attacking his ex-wife at a birthday party for their 15-year-old son in May 2005.
According to press reports, Joucoo, a native of Trinidad, was banned from his wife's apartment by a protection from abuse order but appeared at the birthday party and is alleged to have attacked the woman in front of her children.
How he was found
"America's Most Wanted" featured the story twice in May and received many calls of sympathy for Joucoo's wife who survived the attack but is in hiding.
According to the television show's Web site, a tip came from a man who said he had just been released from the Lawrence County Jail. The man said he knew Joucoo because they served time together. He told the operator that Joucoo was still in jail under an assumed name.
Lawrence County Jail Warden Charles Adamo said he was contacted by New York City Police on Friday for fingerprints for the inmate he knew as Ramesh Ramkellawan who came to the jail March 6.
Ramkellawan, who had no known address, was arrested by New Castle police on charges of sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and simple assault. He is accused of sexually assaulting a 61-year-old woman three times over a two-month period earlier this year.
What victim said
The woman told The Vindicator she took Ramkellawan in through a program in her church, which attempts to help people involved in Narcotics Anonymous. She said Ramkellawan had been staying at the New Castle City Rescue Mission and told her he came to New Castle from Pittsburgh and Beaver County.
She said he initially asked only to leave some items in her garage and then later asked to stay. She said initially he was "real nonchalant and real nice" but turned mean just before the assaults. The woman said she initially did not call police after being attacked but was urged to by her pastor. Ramkellawan was arrested at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting at church in New Castle.
City police are expected to file new fugitive charges against Joucoo today.
According to Adamo, New York police are trying to have him extradited back to that state.
He is being held in jail with bond set at $50,000 in the sexual assault charges.
cioffi@vindy.com