A fugitive wanted for a 2024 murder in Puerto Rico was apprehended this Tuesday in Cleveland, according to statements from U.S. Marshals. The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force, part of the Marshals Service, identified and located 24-year-old Neftali Esquilin-Lebron at a business on East 55th Street, as reported by Cleveland19. Esquilin-Lebron has been charged in connection with the shooting death of a man outside a restaurant in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, on July 21, 2024.
While Esquilin-Lebron was detained, the U.S. Marshals acted in coordination with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, tracking the suspect believed to be hiding in Cleveland with local associates. The Puerto Rican authorities had been searching for Esquilin-Lebron since May 2025 after identifying him as the suspect, a story covered by Cleveland.com. Esquilin-Lebron was booked into the Cuyahoga County jail, and he is currently waiting for a transfer to another facility, as indicated by jail records.
U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott emphasized the importance of the operation, declaring, "Violent fugitives will never be welcome to hide out in our communities in northern Ohio." He reiterated the commitment of the task force to pursue suspects actively, stating, "Our fugitive task force has always and will continue to pursue these suspects to protect our communities and to bring justice to the wronged victims of these senseless killings," in a report by Cleveland19. The arrest throws light on the collaborative efforts between local law enforcement agencies and federal authorities to address cross-jurisdictional violent crime.
Esquilin-Lebron's arrest marks the culmination of an extensive investigation spanning over a year, with investigators from the Puerto Rican Police Bureau having accused the suspect of fleeing to Northeast Ohio after the murder. According to an official release from the U.S. Marshal's office, having shot the victim multiple times, the man succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the crime. This information was further elaborated by a media release, indicating that the arrest occurred yesterday afternoon, as detailed by FOX8 News. Elliott's statement and the details of the arrest underscore a clear message to fugitives, there is no refuge for violent offenders, no matter where they seek to vanish, within the northern Ohio communities.
