U.S. Marshals in California Capture 15 Most Wanted Fugitive

Washington, DC – A man elevated to the U.S. Marshals (USMS) 15 Most Wanted Fugitive list Aug. 1 for a Florida murder and a kidnapping in Canada was arrested in Redway, California, Aug. 5 by the agency’s Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRFTF) and deputy U.S. marshals in the Northern District of California working a lead from the USMS in the Southern District of Florida.

Deshawn “Thorobread” Davis, 36, a Canadian man, is wanted for a brutal murder that occurred May 7, 2023, during which he is alleged to have opened fire during a party at the GALA, a Miami Beach nightclub, shooting to death Lowell “Lo” Grissom, a Miami rapper and talent scout for Chris Brown Entertainment, and injuring two women. 

Law enforcement in Florida believe the murder was a targeted attack with a gang nexus. 

Davis was already a fugitive in Canada when the Florida murder took place.

In February 2023 the Ontario Provincial Police charged Davis and two others with the January 2022 kidnapping of Elnaz Hajtamiri. Elnaz was kidnapped from a relative's house in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, on the night of Jan. 12, 2022, to an SUV before disappearing. She has not been found. The Canada Crown attorney charged her ex-boyfriend Mohamad with murder by way of direct indictment. 

“I commend the men and women of the Marshals Service and our partners for the capture of Deshawn Davis,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald L. Davis. “It is our hope that this apprehension brings justice to his victims and safety to the community.”

The USMS in the Southern District of Florida and the USMS Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force (FCRFTF) adopted the Miami Beach Police murder warrant and have been collaborating with the USMS Investigative Operations Division Office of Canadian Affairs to locate Davis, who was believed to be in the U.S. 

Davis has been featured on Canada’s 25 Most Wanted for his involvement in the Ontario kidnapping and murder. 

Created in 1983, the USMS 15 Most Wanted (15MW) fugitive program draws attention to some of the country’s most dangerous and high-profile fugitives. These fugitives tend to be career criminals with histories of violence who pose a significant threat to public safety.  Generally, 15MW fugitives are considered the “worst of the worst” and can include murderers, sex offenders, major drug kingpins, organized crime figures and individuals wanted for high-profile financial crimes. Since the program began in 1983, more than 250 15MW fugitive cases have been closed. 

The USMS has a long history of providing assistance and expertise to other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in support of their fugitive investigations. Working with authorities at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels, USMS-led fugitive task forces arrested more than 73,000 fugitives and cleared nearly 86,000 warrants in FY 2023.     

The Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force began operations in July 2008 following the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. With partnership agreements with more than 90 federal, state or local agencies and 11 fully operational offices, the FCRFTF has apprehended more than 64,600 fugitives since inception.

The FCRFTF, in cooperation with its partners, has made an extraordinary impact on the apprehension of the region’s most dangerous and violent fugitives, making communities and citizens safer.

The Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force began operations in April 2002. With partnership agreements with over 53 federal, state, or local agencies, the PSWRFTF operates throughout California and Nevada and has apprehend more than 105,900 fugitives since inception. 

The USMS Office of International Operations works with the international law enforcement community to apprehend fugitives abroad as well as to seek foreign fugitives living or residing in the United States. Through global cooperation, the OIO works to strengthen partnerships, share information, and coordinate among nations to continue to bring fugitives to justice in the U.S. and across the world.

Source: U.S. Marshals Service, usmarshals.gov