US actor, Quaid, to face fugitive charge

US Actor Randy Quaid is expected back in a Vermont court on a charge that he left the country five years ago after being accused of vandalism in California.

Quaid and his wife Evi were arrested Friday while trying to enter the United States from Canada. They’ve been held on $500,000 bail each. He is to return to court on Thursday.

The Quaids are wanted in Santa Barbara, California, on felony charges filed in 2010 after they were found squatting in a guesthouse of a home they previously owned. Court papers said the Quaids damaged or destroyed furniture, a fireplace and a mirror. They’re charged with occupying the property illegally and failing to appear for court dates.

The couple fled the U.S. after the charges, saying they were victims of persecution. Quaid had sought to stay in Canada, saying he was being hunted by “Hollywood star-whackers” who killed his friends David Carradine and Heath Ledger. Last week, Quaid said in interview with The Associated Press from a detention center in Laval, Quebec, that he wanted to resolve the legal issues and “move on with my life.”

Evi Quaid also is charged with impeding sheriff’s deputies. She pleaded not guilty to being a fugitive from justice on Monday.

Randy Quaid’s arraignment on the same charge was continued until Thursday because California’s courts were closed for the Columbus Day holiday and the county prosecutor could not get needed paperwork. The Quaids face extradition to California.

Randy Quaid is likely most known for his roles in in the “National Lampoon’s Vacation” movies, “Independence Day” and “Kingpin.” He won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of President Lyndon Johnson in “LBJ: The Early Years.”