Girlfriend of murder suspect on the run arrested with 3 others; suspect still at large
Girlfriend of murder suspect on the run arrested with 3 others; suspect still at large
A murder suspect who has gone on the run after bolting from a courtroom in Florida allegedly received help from his girlfriend and three others as part of a plot that had been planned during jailhouse calls and visits.
LaQuay Stern, 18, and three men have been charged with helping Dayonte Resiles, 21, escape from Broward County Courthouse in Florida on Friday.
But Resiles remains on the lam and police say he is considered armed and dangerous.
Stern, Winston Russell, 22, and two twins, Kretron and TreVon Barnes, 17, have been charged with assisting Resiles’ escape.
Sheriff Scott Israel said Stern parked her silver BMW under a bridge next to the courthouse, where she waited with Russell.
Sheriff Israel said the Barnes twins went into the courtroom where Resiles was awaiting a hearing on whether he would face the death penalty in his upcoming trial on charges that he murdered Jill Halliburton Su, 59, a member of the wealthy Halliburton family, during a home invasion robbery in September 2014.
It is alleged that as Resiles slipped out of his handcuffs and leg shackles and broke for the door, one of the twins coughed into a cellphone to signal to Stern and Russell that he was on his way.
Resiles fled the courtroom, shed his jail jumpsuit, leapt into Stern’s car and sped off, claimed Sheriff Israel.
Resiles was accused of murdering Jill Halliburton Su (pictured right, with husband Nan-Yao Su) who was found stabbed to death in the bathtub at her upscale mansion in September 2014
Russell allegedly gave him a change of clothes and also had a police uniform, although that was apparently not used.
Stern and Russell allegedly drove Resiles to an apartment and he has since vanished into thin air.
A huge manhunt remains focused on South Florida but a nationwide alert has been issued and a reward of $20,000 has been offered.
‘The fact that Resiles remains at large tells me that there are others aiding and abetting in his escape,’ said Sheriff Israel.
The escape was allegedly planned during several phone calls and visitations Resiles had with Stern and Russell.
Stern and Russell have allegedly confessed and laid out the plot to investigators.
They have been charged with escape and accessory after the fact to capital murder and are being held without bail at the Broward County Jail. The twins face the same charges, albeit as juveniles.
Sheriff Israel said there was no indication at this stage that Resiles had received help from a guard or other law enforcement agent but an internal affairs investigation has been opened and investigators remain baffled how he was able to shed his shackles.
‘There is only two ways to get out of cuffs – either they weren’t put on tight or you have a cuff key,’ he said.
Resiles was awaiting trial for the murder of Mrs Halliburton Su, grand-niece of Erie P. Halliburton, the founder of oilfield development firm Halliburton Company.
Her body was found, bound at the hands and feet and stabbed multiple times, in the bathtub of her home in Davie, Florida.
Resiles is described as five feet 10 inches tall and 175 pounds with tattoos on both arms, including the names Kerry, Joaquin and Shay.
He has a number of tattoos including images of flames, a skull and hand, an angel and stars with the phrase Hood Stars.
