He pleaded guilty to the theft and misappropriation charges and was convicted on the remaining two by the First Circuit Court, which ordered that he be sentenced to 46 months and 20 days imprisonment.

Meneses then lodged an appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice, which reduced his sentence to 30 months and acquitted him of the criminal misappropriation charge.

Witness statements from fellow prostitutes said that Meneses - who frequently used their services - had picked up Ábrego in a black 2002 Toyota 4Runner with license plate numbers 280603 and registered in Veraguas Province.

[2] Later that day, it was determined that Meneses' girlfriend, María Luisa Caballero, had disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the vicinity of Vista Alegre.

[2] A little over a month after the second warrant was issued, Panama's Minister of Government and Justice, Arnulfo Escalona, announced that three police units have been organized and dispatched to regions of the country where they had received tips about potential sightings of Meneses.

[3] Authorities believe that he might have been hiding in remote areas of Veraguas and Chiriquí for some time, possibly wearing a fake wig and mustache, and the prize for his arrest has since been raised to $5,000.