- Most wanted Florida fugitive Claude Edsel Brooks Jr. was captured after 2 years on the run.
- Brooks is accused of first-degree murder with aggravated child abuse.
- North Carolina police apprehended him after reports of a man in a car with a firearm shooting a home.
Florida Fugitive Accused of Killing Young Child
The fugitive was pulled over for a traffic violation and tried to get away with a fake ID. Investigators later uncovered his identity and linked him to the Florida homicide case, according to Law and Crime.
Based on the case that was filed against Brooks Jr. in Tampa, Florida, is an instance of murder in the first degree and aggravated child abuse of child during 2019. Details of the case are as stated on December 30, 2019, after a call that summoned deputies and paramedics to respond to a call at 9000 block of Sunset Drive in Tampa regarding a minor. One of the family members alleged having found a child not responding said authorities, Team HCSO reported.
The victim had died at the Brandon Regional Hospital after being brought there for treatment of severe injuries suffered by the victim. Linked to interviews and forensic evidence, cited WSTP.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister stated that detectives who worked on the case for more than one year are focused on finding the cause of death.
Brooks Jr. Captured After 2 Years
An arrest warrant was issued on January 11, 2021, but the fugitive was out of bounds, and his location was unknown. Information was asked from the public on February 3, 2021,
In Pitt County, North Carolina, on February 22, 2023, deputies got a report about an incident on North Carolina Highway 903 in Ayden and Winterville towns wherein a man committed a criminal act. An unidentified man in Honda Civic was shooting a gun at a home, into a field towards a judge's residence.
It was a costly mistake for Brooks Jr. when a deputy stopped him in traffic and noted him acting weirdly in the car. The license given was from Arizona, with the name Rykan Ashley Green, 33, but the deputy noticed a marijuana smell from the vehicle. The fugitive was taken in but resisted the authorities during the arrest. A pistol was found in the car, but Green lied about it. They did a background check, and he is a convicted felon.
Brooks Jr. was arrested for having four pounds of Marijuana, edible, and paraphernalia, said the cops. He was also charged with owning a firearm, violations related to marijuana, and trying to resist arrest by an officer. He lied about his identity, and it was not Rykan Green.
A bond of $100,000 was obtained and avoided a first hearing, but his prints revealed his true identity. He is charged additionally with identity theft. Florida's most wanted suspect on the run for two years due to the murder of a young child is now caught and will be prosecuted for his crimes.
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