Two 19-year-olds wanted in the killing of a Broward County man are now behind bars in Texas, after what started as a routine traffic stop turned into a homicide arrest, law enforcement officials said. Jayden DeJesus of Miami and Trevon Quinones of Forney were taken into custody Wednesday in Kaufman County and are expected to be extradited to Broward County on homicide-related warrants.
Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives were called out on Feb. 1 to the West Broward Boat Ramp at 3451 N. U.S. 27, where they found a man dead in the passenger seat of a parked vehicle. The victim was identified as 22-year-old Hunter Howell. Detectives ruled the case a homicide and believe the killing happened on Jan. 31, a timeline and suspect information they developed while chasing leads across state lines, according to WPLG Local 10.
How investigators tracked the suspects to Texas
The Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office, working with the U.S. Marshals Service and Broward detectives, zeroed in on a vehicle at an apartment complex in Forney, officials said. Officers kept eyes on the car until they could safely pull it over. Forney police, Kaufman County constables and a K-9 unit all joined in on the stop, which ended with both suspects in custody, according to KLTV.
Charges and next steps
DeJesus and Quinones were booked into the Kaufman County jail on Broward County warrants charging them with first-degree murder and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. Authorities said they are being held as they await transfer to Florida to face prosecution. Details on the arrests and booking were reported by The Dallas Morning News following a statement from Kaufman County officials.
Legal context
Under Florida law, a first-degree murder conviction is punishable by life in prison and, in capital cases, the death penalty. Tampering with or fabricating physical evidence is charged as a separate felony. Sentencing procedures and possible penalties are governed by state statutes and sentencing rules, per Florida statutes…