A man authorities say spent nearly 14 years on the run from a violent Iowa case was arrested this week inside a popular Mission Beach restaurant where he had built a public career as a chef under a false name.
Brian Anthony Williams, 50, was taken into custody without incident on October 6, 2026, by U.S. Marshals at Miss B’s Coconut Club in San Diego’s Mission Beach neighborhood. Officials say he had been living and working as “Troy Williams,” the restaurant’s head chef.
The U.S. Marshals Service received information in September 2026 indicating that Troy Williams had surfaced in San Diego under the assumed name and was working as a chef. Additional research revealed that the individual identified as Troy Williams had been seen in media reports. On October 6, the deputies from San Diego found Troy Williams at the restaurant on 3700 Mission Boulevard.
U.S. Marshal Ted Kamatchus of the Southern District of Iowa put it plainly:
“This arrest is a perfect example of those who think they have bested law enforcement and evaded arrest. Deputy U.S. Marshals remain resolute in their relentless pursuit of the most dangerous offenders in our society.”
Authorities allege that on October 8, 2012, Williams and others kidnapped, assaulted, and shot a woman in Davenport, Iowa, before leaving her in a field in the northwest part of the city. He was charged in Scott County on October 26, 2012, with first-degree kidnapping, willful injury causing serious injury, conspiracy to commit a felony, and first-degree arson. In 2013, federal authorities added a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution after he allegedly fled the state.
Williams had appeared on Quad Cities “most wanted” lists and the U.S. Marshals website for years. One co-conspirator was convicted in related proceedings in 2013. These remain allegations; an arrest does not establish guilt.
Under the name Troy Williams, he worked at Miss B’s Coconut Club for roughly a decade and served as head chef for about eight or nine years. He was an original employee, well-liked by staff, and visible in the local food scene. In February 2026, the Times of San Diego published a Black History Month profile in which he discussed growing up in New York’s Queensbridge projects and rising through the restaurant ranks.
Coworkers and management were stunned. General manager Eddie Jurado, who had once roomed with him, told local reporters:
“This is crazy… I was his roommate for a while and he’s not even Troy.”
The restaurant has said the situation is deeply unsettling for the team and that it is cooperating with authorities while supporting staff.
Williams remains in federal custody pending extradition to Iowa to face the outstanding charges. No extradition date has been publicly announced. The case will proceed through the courts, where the allegations will be tested under the presumption of innocence.
