An Atlantic City fugitive wanted in the killing of a Mays Landing man last year has been apprehended in Virginia, bringing a breakthrough in the ongoing investigation.
Rasabohyt Bethea, 39, was taken into custody earlier this month by police in Hampton, Virginia, according to reports from BreakingAC.com. Bethea is now facing charges as a fugitive from justice and efforts are underway to have him returned to South Jersey to face the pending murder charges.
The incident dates back to October 19, 2022, when the Atlantic City Police Department responded to a ShotSpotter notification on the 1400 block of Atlantic Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers discovered 21-year-old Tyrone Ford, the victim, unconscious and unresponsive. Despite being rushed to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s City Campus, Ford was pronounced dead.
The Southern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that Ford’s cause of death was a gunshot wound, ruling it a homicide.
Following an extensive joint investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Atlantic City Police Department Violent Crimes Unit, three individuals were charged in connection with the murder.
Rahmir Bethea, 33, of Atlantic City, was arrested shortly after the incident on October 19, 2022, and charged with Conspiracy to Commit Murder. He has been held without bail at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
David Santiago, 23, of Westville, Ohio, who was identified as another suspect, was apprehended by the United States Marshals Service on December 6, 2022, in Newark, New Jersey. Santiago faced charges of Conspiracy to Commit Murder and was subsequently lodged in the Essex County Correctional Facility.
Rasabohyt Bethea, the remaining suspect in the case, had been evading law enforcement since October 2022.
However, his run from justice came to an end when he was captured by the Hampton Police Department in Virginia earlier this month. Bethea, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Murder, as well as Murder, Possession of a Firearm for Unlawful Purpose, and Unlawful Possession of a Rifle, was subsequently booked into a local jail in Virginia.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office is currently working on initiating the extradition process to bring Bethea back to South Jersey to face the charges against him.
Authorities have not released any further details regarding the circumstances surrounding Bethea’s arrest in Virginia. Requests for comments from the Hampton Police Department and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office have yet to be answered.
The arrest of Rasabohyt Bethea represents a significant development in the case, providing hope for justice for the family and friends of Tyrone Ford.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information related to this incident or other serious crimes is urged to contact the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit at 609-909-7666 or visit the Prosecutor’s Office website to provide information anonymously.
Crime Stoppers is also accepting tips at 609-652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477 (TIPS), with potential cash rewards for valuable information leading to the arrest and indictment of individuals involved in crimes within Atlantic County.
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