BOOTHESVILLE, W. Va. — The U.S. Marshals with assistance from the Greater Harrison County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force have arrested a Pennsylvania murder suspect in Taylor County.
Roman Elon Jones, 23, of Clairton, Pennsylvania was arrested in a trailer park near Boothesville at around noon on Monday.
On January 20, Jones is alleged to have participated in the murder of one individual and attempted to murder two others in Crawford Village, McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Jones and another man are said to have shot 2 individuals just outside of an apartment, and when a third attempted to run away, they chased and shot him.
The police department investigating the crime called for assistance from the U.S. Marshals in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
“They immediately began searching for the individuals. They were able to obtain some information that the suspect had connections to our area,” Terry Moore, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal said.
It was then U.S. Marshals in the Northern District of West Virginia were notified and on January 23, they were notified that Jones had indeed traveled to the area.
“Over the weekend, we conducted surveillance and interviews of known associates in the area, which led us to [Monday] to the trailer park in Boothesville,” Moore said.
During the arrest, heroin and cash were seized from the residence and local drug charges are being investigated.
The second suspect in this case, identified by WTAE-TV as Jonathon BJ Coles, is still at large.
“We have no information that he is in our area at this point,” Moore said in regard to Coles’ ties to North Central West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania.
Following the arrest Jones was transported to the Taylor County Courthouse and will be charged as a fugitive from justice and will face other charges in Allegheny County including homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault and carrying a firearm without a license. He is being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail, awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania.
“For him to flee that gruesome of a scene, or type of scene, and then come down here and be located with drugs and money, we believe he would have been a detriment to our community.” Moore said. “We’re glad to see him captured.”