Teen homicide suspect from Virginia arrested in BVI after manhunt

A young man accused of fatally shooting a woman at a Richmond hotel was apprehended in the British Virgin Islands following an international pursuit.

Teen homicide suspect from Virginia arrested in BVI after manhunt

A teenager wanted in connection with a deadly hotel shooting in Virginia has been taken into custody in the British Virgin Islands, bringing a lengthy cross-border search to a close.

J'Wa Charlery, aged 19, was detained by local officers in Tortola early on Thursday morning. Police said they found him close to a makeshift campsite in a secluded location on the island and placed him under arrest peacefully. The apprehension was carried out by members of the Royal Virgin Island Police Force.

The suspect had been the subject of an intensive hunt after American authorities placed him on a top-priority wanted roster at the start of July. He faces accusations of killing Eboniece Escobar, whose remains were located at a Richmond lodging establishment in late 2014.

During a search of the area where Charlery had been staying, investigators uncovered a substantial quantity of currency as well as a pair of handguns containing ammunition. He is currently being held in detention on Tortola.

The operation succeeded thanks to cooperation between the RVIPF, the U.S. Marshals Service, and police in Richmond. American investigators developed information indicating that Charlery had traveled to the BVI, and shared this intelligence with local law enforcement, who then tracked him to the isolated spot where he was found.

American officials have identified Charlery—who goes by the street name "Balla"—as having connections to an organized group involved in drug trafficking and violent activity in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The director of the federal fugitive agency had previously issued warnings about the threat he posed to public safety while at large.

Escobar's mother, Tonya, told WTVR.com that she was overjoyed the suspect had finally been found, though she emphasized that no arrest could repair the damage done to her family. She had previously worried the case might never be resolved.

Charlery now faces extradition-related proceedings following his capture in the territory.

Source: Google News VG — Crime