Actor Timothy Busfield, accused of sex abuse in New Mexico, has Sacramento ties
Actor Timothy Busfield, who is facing child sex abuse charges in New Mexico, has deep ties to the Sacramento region. He co-founded the city’s beloved B Street Theatre and played baseball for The Sacramento Smokeys, a semi-pro and collegiate team founded in 1949.
Busfield, 68, turned himself in to police in Albuquerque on Tuesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest in a case involving twin boys who worked as actors on the television show “The Cleaning Lady,” which was shot there.
Here’s are five things to know about Busfield, his connection to Sacramento and the charges he is facing.
Manhunt and surrender
Busfield briefly became the subject of a nationwide manhunt after authorities in New Mexico said they could not find him to carry out an arrest warrant issued Jan. 9 by a judge in Albuquerque. Late Monday, Albuquerque police told numerous news outlets that the U.S. Marshals Service had joined the hunt for the actor. But by midday Tuesday, Busfield surfaced in a video posted on the celebrity news site TMZ, saying he had been driving for 2,000 miles to get to New Mexico. Soon after, police confirmed that he had turned himself in.
What are the charges?
Busfield is accused of two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse, according to the arrest warrant, which was obtained by The Sacramento Bee. An affidavit attached to the warrant showed that one of the boys, said that Busfield had touched him on his genitals and buttocks. Their mother had reported alleged abuse of both boys, saying it took place between November 2022 and Spring 2024.
What does he say?
Busfield has denied the charges, calling them “horrible” lies. In an interview with the Albuquerque police officer investigating the case, he said that the boys’ mother was angry that they were not kept on for the show’s final season, and that an actor on the set had told him she vowed revenge, the affidavit says. In the police interview, he said that he and his wife, actor Melissa Gilbert, had gotten to know the family, socializing with them and giving the boys Christmas presents, the affidavit says.
What is his connection to Sacramento?
In 1988, about a year after he began playing Elliot in the ABC series “Thirtysomething,” an iconic show that chronicled the Baby Boomers’ move into adult responsibilities and middle age, Busfield bought a property in Yolo County near the Delta, a 2004 story in the Sacramento Business Journal reported. He and his brother, Buck, made Sacramento their new home and co-founded the B Street Theatre.
He divided his time between Sacramento and film sets, making “Field of Dreams” in 1989 and ultimately signing on to “The West Wing” in 1999. He put his Yolo County property on the market in 2004, and an interview with the Sactown Magazine in 2007 says he and his then-wife purchased a property in the hills above Malibu.
Sacramento Baseball Hall of Famer
After “Thirtysomething” ended, Busfield became a pitcher with the Sacramento Smokeys, playing for nine seasons with the team. In 2024, he was inducted into the Sacramento Baseball Hall of Fame, the organization said in a Facebook post. The posting includes old newspaper clippings detailing Busfield’s exploits on the field. One says, “Timothy Busfield pitched a complete game Sunday to lead the Smokeys past the Burlingame Braves 7-4 in the decisive second game of a doubleheader at Renfree Field.” A January, 2024 post shows him with other inductees from that year.
