A FUGITIVE beauty queen was met at Pearson airport early this morning by a welcoming party of police who arrested her for allegedly skipping probation. Kalista Zackharias, 24, who was sentenced to 60 days of house arrest and given one year probation in Brampton court July 5 for faking her own beating in a bid to bolster a child custody battle with her ex-husband, had been in the United States since July 18.

Zackharias' probation officer, who sources say is now the subject of an internal investigation, had given Zackharias permission to leave Canada and visit Florida July 18 to 25.

Her arrival this morning is 17 days beyond what her probation officer had approved.

Zackharias was escorted from the arrivals area by four Peel Regional Police plainclothes officers about half an hour after her plane landed at 12:11 a.m.

Her fiance, Spiros Kodounis, told the Toronto Sun last night that Zackharias had intended to return July 25, but became ill with a "terrible infection" while she was with him in Orlando, Fla.

He said Zackharias was admitted to a Florida hospital and was too unfit to return until this morning.

"The only reason she was still away was because of the illness," said Kodounis.

"She had a legitimate reason."

Kodounis said the probation officer knew where Zackharias was staying in Florida and had her telephone number, but nobody tried to reach her.

"The first we knew about it was when our family called and told us there was an arrest warrant out. That was a real shock."

Zackharias, who dreams of being a top model and actress, made headlines last June when she lost her Miss Vaughan crown and a shot at the Miss Canada International title because the national competition did not accept mothers.

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