Two men suspected in separate Indianapolis homicides are now behind bars after what police describe as weeks of relentless detective work that stretched beyond state lines.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) says 21-year-old Darious Averitte was arrested on June 26, and 22-year-old Christopher Exilhomme was taken into custody in Ohio on July 6 after investigators tracked him out of state. Detectives tied the two arrests to an April killing and a May 5 killing and credited persistent follow-up and multi-agency cooperation for the break in the cases.
U.S. Marshals Help Collar Suspect in Small-Town Ohio
According to The Progressor Times, IMPD detectives tracked Exilhomme across state lines before U.S. Marshals and Ohio authorities located him in the village of Carey on July 6. Wyandot County officials told the outlet that Exilhomme was booked into county custody and that a fugitive complaint was filed with the prosecutor’s office.
IMPD says detectives had identified Exilhomme early in the April homicide investigation, then spent weeks working leads that ultimately pointed them to his location in Ohio.
Detectives Link Suspects to Separate April and May Killings
In a press release shared via IMPD News on Facebook, investigators said Exilhomme is alleged to be the shooter in the April killing of Samuel Toussaint, while Averitte is accused in the May 5 death of 26-year-old Izaak Garcia.
The department listed the related case numbers as IP260025515 and IP260035156 and emphasized that both the arrests and the charges are merely accusations. The men are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
IMPD added that detectives continued chasing leads for weeks and still identified Averitte as a suspect even though he was wounded during the May incident.
Prosecutors Move Forward As Cases Head to Court
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office consulted with detectives and secured a murder warrant for Averitte, according to IMPD. Both Averitte and Exilhomme remain in custody and are expected to move through the appropriate courts, though the department said arraignment dates were not immediately available.
Investigators publicly thanked the U.S. Marshals Service and Ohio law-enforcement partners for their help and asked anyone with additional information about the killings to contact IMPD homicide detectives.
