After months-long search, father arrested in connection to 12-year-old son’s death

By CNN

Published February 27, 2024 8:43 PM

WDJT, FAMILY PHOTOS, CNN

By Bryant McCray

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (WDJT) — A Milwaukee man who has been wanted for months in connection to the death of a 12-year-old boy is now in custody.

Milwaukee police arrested Romuan Moye Sunday afternoon.

Moye is the father of Jacarie Robinson, the 12-year-old boy who police say was starved to death in his home last October.

“This is a dad who wouldn’t give his child food, for discipline. It’s incredibly sad,” said Michael Driscoll, a detective with the Milwaukee Police Department.

According to court records, an arrest warrant went out for Moye five days after his son, Jacarie Robinson, was found dead in their northside home last October.

Police said for months, they could not find Moye for questioning.

This weekend, that all changed, when they said an outside source led them to his arrest.

“What we thought was maybe a really small investigative lead for us, so something that we thought was maybe really small, ended up pointing us in the right direction,” said Thomas Kotnik with the Special Investigation Fugitive Apprehension Division, Milwaukee Police Department.

Kotnik is one of the officers responsible for ending a manhunt spanning several months.

“I was relieved,” said Kotnik.

According to police, Sunday afternoon, just before 12:30 near Jackson and Kilbourn, Kotnik, along with his partner, Officer Brandon Rutherford, arrested 45-year-old Romuan Moye.

Michael Driscoll, a detective with the Milwaukee Police Department, said when Moye was wanted for questioning, he vanished.

“For all intensive purpose, disappeared. He left the house that night and has not been seen since,” said Driscoll.

Officers said for the past several months they have been gathering information on Moye’s whereabouts.

On Monday, Moye made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County Court, where he faces several charges including 1st-degree reckless homicide, chronic neglect of a child causing death and bodily harm, and failure to report the death of a child.

Officers hope Moye’s arrest can bring the family of the little boy one step closer to closure.

“There’s a lot of people that had a lot of questions over the last couple of months about what we were doing, how come he hasn’t been found yet; so, I think this is a step in the right direction, makes everyone feel a bit better,” said Kotnik.

If convicted, Moye could face up to 82 years in prison.

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