In Cleveland, a 17-year-old Royal King was brought into custody by the U.S. Marshals-led Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) for multiple charges related to a recent shooting. The arrest took place following an intensive search for the teen, who was wanted for aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, and carrying a concealed weapon, according to a press release from the U.S. Marshals.
The initial incident occurred outside a convenience store on East 185th St. in Cleveland, where the victim, 17-year-old Jahari Stegall, sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Surveillance footage from the scene suggests King ambushed the victim, fleeing the scene in a stolen vehicle that was later retrieved by law enforcement officers, the U.S. Marshals reported. As the manhunt escalated, investigators eventually homed in on a location on East 147th St., where King was thought to be hiding.
Upon searching the residence in the 3500 block of East 147th St., officers not only apprehended their primary suspect, King, but they also found and arrested Anthony Phelps, 36, wanted on separate parole violation charges. A loaded rifle, believed to be King's, was uncovered in the bedroom.
Members of the public with information about wanted fugitives are encouraged to contact the NOVFTF, with the promise of a reward and the option to stay anonymous. The task force is a coalition of federal, state, and local agencies, including the Cleveland Police Department and, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, among many others, tasked with the mission to apprehend violent criminals and ensure public safety.
