Troy

Police Chief John Tedesco said his department has been told that two people found dead in Tijuana, Mexico, may be self-styled police watchdog Adam Rupeka and his girlfriend, Jennifer Ogburn, who said they fled the region after their March 26 arrest on misdemeanor sex abuse charges by Troy police.

Tedesco said his department is waiting to see crime-scene photos from the FBI in Mexico before determining whether the two bodies are those of Rupeka, 36, and Ogburn, 26.

Tedesco said his department was alerted to the discovery early Tuesday, but he did not know specifically which Mexican agency found the bodies. He said the department was told that officials from the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana contacted relatives of the couple.

Jon Desso, a spokesman for Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove, said the prosecutor was aware of the report but had seen nothing to confirm the deaths.

The Times Union contacted the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana Tuesday to ask for information, and the request was forwarded to Consular Affairs at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C.

Last week, bench warrants were issued by Judge Chris Maier for Ogburn and Rupeka after they failed to appear at separate hearings in Troy City Court.

Rupeka and Ogburn face misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child, sexual abuse and forcible touching. They were sent to the Rensselaer County Jail and each was released on $5,000 bail.

Rupeka has posted videos on social media, claiming police have targeted him for his efforts to expose their misconduct.

"I am now on the run for my life and this is all because of everything I've exposed of police doing," Rupeka said in a video posted March 27 on YouTube and his Facebook page, Capital District Cop Block. "As soon as I get to another safe location, I'll make an update to let everybody know what's going on."

A day later, Rupeka posted a video showing snow and water and speaking about crossing the Canadian border. Rupeka did not appear in that video, and it was unclear where and when the video was made.

In May, Rupeka, caught the public's attention when he flashed his middle finger at a Saratoga Springs Police Officer Nathan Baker while driving in the city and videotaped the officer pepper-spraying him after Rupeka's refusal to get out of his car without hearing what he was being charged with. Rupeka filed a lawsuit and received a $50,000 settlement. Baker resigned.

In September, State Police said Rupeka operated a drone equipped with a camera that crashed into a chimney at the state Capitol. He was charged with reckless endangerment, but Albany City Court Judge Rachel Kretser dismissed the charges on March 17.

kcrowe@timesunion.com • 518-454-5084 • @KennethCrowe