Martinsburg, WV - The U.S. Marshals Mountain State Fugitive Task Force on Thursday arrested a man in Martinsburg who was wanted in Florida for a murder and armed robbery that occurred in November 2017.
Dontae Jermaine Childs was wanted by the Melbourne, Florida, Police Department. The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force developed information that Childs, originally from northern Virginia, was residing in the Martinsburg area. The Florida task force requested the assistance of the Mountain State task force to locate and arrest Childs.
Deputy U.S. Marshals determined Thursday that Childs was staying at the APM Inn and Suites in Martinsburg. Task force officers observed Childs leaving the hotel in a red Chevy Malibu. As officers attempted to stop the vehicle, it fled, leading officers in a pursuit onto the northbound lanes of I-81. Childs lost control of the vehicle on the exit 23 ramp. Childs then fled on foot and was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit. Childs was transported to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office and charged as a fugitive from justice, felony fleeing, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm.
The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, Martinsburg Police Department and West Virginia State Police assisted with the arrest.
The mission of U.S. Marshals fugitive task forces is to locate and apprehend the most violent and dangerous fugitives and to provide assistance to other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in support of their fugitive investigations.
