Miami Beach Nightclub Murder Suspect Caught in Remote California Town

Deshawn Davis is accused of gunning down a rapper at a Miami Beach nightclub party and kidnapping a woman in Ontario, Canada.

By Zulekha Pitts

August 7, 2024

Image: Booking photo of a man with neck tattoos staring blankly into camera

Deshawn Davis was tracked down and arrested in Redway, California, on August 5, 2024. U.S. Marshals booking photo

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A Canadian fugitive allegedly on the run for the 2023 murder of rapper and Chris Brown Entertainment talent scout Lowell "Lo" Grissom at a Miami Beach nightclub was nabbed this week in California, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

On August 5, U.S. Marshals caught up with Deshawn "Thorobread" Davis in Redway, a small community of about 1,200 residents near Humboldt Redwoods State Park. He had been on the Marshals' 15 Most Wanted Fugitives list since August 1.

U.S. Marshals in California Capture 15 Most Wanted Fugitive#USMarshals #USMarshalsMostWanted https://t.co/qISqhA27VN pic.twitter.com/kYRDVXlFfu
— U.S. Marshals Service (@USMarshalsHQ) August 6, 2024

Davis, 36, was wanted in a May 2023 shooting at GALA, a nightclub on 23rd Street in Miami Beach. Davis allegedly opened fire during a party at the club, killing Grissom and injuring two women, according to U.S. Marshals.

Authorities believe the Miami murder was a targeted gang-related attack.

Prior to the shooting, Davis was already wanted in Canada in the January 2022 kidnapping of a woman named Elnaz Hajtamiri. Three masked men masquerading as police took the 37-year-old Hajtamiri from a relative's house in Ontario, according to Canadian police.

Hajtamiri has yet to be found. Canadian law enforcement charged Davis with kidnapping and Hajtamiri's ex-boyfriend, Mohamad Lilo, with murder in the case.

"I commend the men and women of the Marshals Service and our partners for the capture of Deshawn Davis," said U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald L. Davis in a press release. "It is our hope that this apprehension brings justice to his victims and safety to the community."

A joint effort between the U.S. Marshals in the Southern District of Florida, the Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force led to Davis' arrest.

Though she's a Jersey girl by birth, former staff writer Zulekha Pitts — Zee to her family and friends, has deep roots in Florida. Before coming to New Times in 2024, she worked as a content creator and digital producer for USA Today and content producer for 3TV and CBS 5 News in Phoenix and also has experience as a digital host for the jewelry home-shopping channel Gem Shopping Network in Atlanta. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Journalism and Media Studies, Zee is wrapping up a master's in communication at Villanova.

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