A 22-year-old man accused of pistol-whipping, zip-tying and beating a victim inside a Jonesboro tattoo shop last year has been captured in Minnesota, ending a manhunt that stretched for more than 14 months. Javon Diamonte McDonald, who goes by the street alias “Von,” was taken into custody without incident on Friday through a joint operation between federal and local authorities.
According to the FOX 5 Atlanta, McDonald was wanted in connection with a June 5, 2025 assault at Cykotik Lifestyle Tattoos and Supplies, located at 6419 Tara Boulevard in Jonesboro, Georgia — the county seat of Clayton County along the busy Tara Boulevard corridor, according to Giftly. The victim was pistol-whipped, restrained with zip ties and forced into a bathroom, where the attacker or attackers shoved the victim’s head into a toilet, per the outlet’s report. The victim also suffered severe facial and bodily trauma and multiple fractures that required emergency care and surgery, the station notes.
Authorities believe multiple people were involved in the assault, though officials have not named any other alleged participants. The motive behind the attack has not been disclosed by police, leaving that question, along with the fate of any co-conspirators, unresolved for now.
Digital Trail Led Investigators to a Suspect
Clayton County police identified McDonald using digital evidence recovered from an iCloud account, along with phone records and surveillance video, as reported by WSB-TV. Physical evidence gathered at the scene rounded out the case investigators built against him. That combination of digital forensics and scene evidence gave detectives enough to formally tie McDonald to the attack even before he was found…