Adelaide FBI fugitive Andrea Chan Reyes was planning to settle in South Australia, fiance reveals

An American businesswoman wanted by the FBI over a Californian hit-run death of a cyclist was planning to raise a family in Adelaide, her fiance has revealed.

Andrea Dorothy Chan Reyes is wanted by US authorities for allegedly being involved in a hit-run accident that killed Agustin Rodriguez Jr in January 2017. Picture: FBI

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An American businesswoman wanted by the FBI over a Californian hit-run death of a cyclist wanted to raise a family in Adelaide, her new fiance has revealed.

Paul Blair, 38, told the Sunday Mail of his ongoing distress after federal agents arrested his “love” Andrea Dorothy Chan Reyes, 33, in an April dawn raid.

The Filipino-born accountant is accused of fleeing Los Angeles almost two years ago after allegedly mowing down father of four Agustin Rodriguez Jr, 46, in the Whittier suburb.

During her North Adelaide arrest, four Australian Federal Police officers were involved in a “critical incident” but were cleared of any wrongdoing.

The Advertiser last month revealed how the Federal Bureau of Investigation had tracked her to Adelaide, where she was arrested on April 19.

Mr Blair, who did not know about her US past, on Saturday publicly defended his new fiancee, whom he met on social media after recruiting her for a Queensland-based chief financial officer job in August 2017.

Andrea Chan Reyes pictured in 2016. She was tracked to Adelaide and arrested on April 19 this year. Picture: FBI

A vigil for Agustin Rodriguez Jr who died in January 2017 after being hit by a car, allegedly driven by Chan Reyes. Picture supplied by family.

Declining to speak on her criminal case, the looming extradition fight or the circumstances surrounding her arrest, the Adelaide-born businessman paid tribute to her kindness, intelligence and love of life.

Firstly Brisbane-based colleagues in corporate finance, they became a couple in November 2017, before he proposed on an April 1 Adelaide road trip.

Mr Blair, a father of one, said they formed a broker finance and audit business, to be based in Adelaide, were about to rent a city apartment and planned to raise a family here.

“I’m in love with the girl. She is kind, she is caring, she is sweet by nature,” he said.

“She sacrifices everything for the other person like me. She would do whatever she can. She is highly intelligent. She loves all types of food.

“She had just scored a new property investment finance job with a fairly large company in the city and was due to start two days before the arrest. We could see our future in Adelaide and that was the plan to have kids here.”

They were in bed in their temporary Airbnb accommodation, and not in Paralowie as authorities had claimed, when the AFP raided the house. She was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with serious injuries and then had emergency surgery. She is currently in Adelaide Women’s Prison.

Asked about her arrest, Mr Blair said: “I can’t talk about it. But I am not going to say there wasn’t an investigation or I wasn’t questioned about that.”

WEB OF SECRETS: FOLLOW THE TRAIL

It is understood Chan Reyes, who lived near the LA crash site, had used her US passport and American credit cards – including to pay Airbnb – which the FBI monitored.

Friends reject police claims she fled or was in hiding, saying she had used her own name to apply for an Australian 457 visa, and to register her company’s name with the corporate watchdog ASIC.

Mr Blair, who is currently living with relatives in the northern suburbs, also wanted to correct official “misinformation” about his partner.

He said she didn’t have an alias, was about to divorce her husband after a 2009 separation and had no other boyfriends.

An AFP spokeswoman said last night: “The... officers’ response was found to be professional and in line with standard procedures.”

The extradition case is in court this week.