Federal authorities confirmed Thursday that a suspect had been arrested for sending a purported ransom note to the Guthrie family as the search for the family’s presumably kidnapped mother, Nancy, continues.
The suspect has been identified in court documents as Derrick Anthony Callella, a 42-year-old Los Angeles resident. Callella was taken into custody for allegedly sending fraudulent text messages related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, 84, who disappeared in the early morning hours of February 1 and remains missing.
Callella is facing federal charges for under Title 18 U.S.C. § 875a for transmitting a demand or request for ransom in interstate or foreign commerce, and Title 47 U.S.C. § 223(a)(1)(C) for making a telephone call using a telecommunications device without disclosing his identity and with intent to abuse, threaten, or harass a specific person, according to court documents.
A criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona alleges that Callella sent two text messages to family members of Nancy Guthrie, identified as A.C. and T.C., stating: “Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction.”
Investigators determined the number was associated with a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) application. Law enforcement submitted an emergency disclosure request to the wireless carrier, revealing the number was registered to an email address associated with Callella.
Upon arrest, Callella confessed to sending the messages using the VOIP account. He stated he obtained family information from a cyber website, had been following the case on TV, and sent the messages to see if the family would respond.
Data also indicated he made a 9-second call to a Guthrie family member approximately three minutes after the texts. Callella has no known connections to the Guthrie family.
BREAKING: A Los Angeles man named Derrick Callella has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly sending texts to the Guthrie family to ask for bitcoin and see if they would respond. His text messages are *not* believed to be connected to the ransom demand.
How they caught him &… pic.twitter.com/BrPjcgYHxt
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 5, 2026
Investigators did note that Callella’s arrest is not related to the ransom demand sent to various media outlets on February 2. That note, which threatened harm if demands for cryptocurrency payments were not met, is still being investigated as a legitimate threat.
The arrest comes as the search for Nancy Guthrie continues. Guthrie, who lives alone, was last seen after she was dropped off at her home in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills. Guthrie had just returned from dinner with family members in the hours leading up to her disappearance.
Her doorbell camera disconnected shortly after, and a pacemaker alert around 2 a.m. on February 1 suggested distress. Investigators quickly determined that her home showed signs of forced entry and indicated that she was likely taken against her will.
Police also recovered blood splatters on the property’s front porch that were confirmed to be Guthrie’s.
During a press conference Thursday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos indicated that investigators believe Guthrie is still alive. “No one, including family members, has been ruled out as a potential person of interest,” Nanos said, adding that no suspect or person(s) of interest have been identified as of this report.
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to her recovery or convictions, while President Donald Trump has stated that all federal resources have been made available in the investigation.
