Arizona murder suspect arrested in Charles City after nine-month manhunt

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A suspect wanted in the shooting death of a man near the University of Arizona in Tucson last spring has been arrested in Charles City.

The Charles City Police Department said local officers assisted the U.S. Marshals Service in apprehending Trevontea Tyron Howard-Brown, age 23, in the 1100 Block of Kelly Street around noon Friday, Jan. 20, just north of the Immaculate Conception Elementary School.

“As a precaution, IC School was placed on lock-down and an officer was on site during the operation due to their proximity to the location,” the CCPD said.

According to a report by The Associated Press, Howard-Brown was wanted on a first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder warrant out of southern Arizona’s Pima County, in an April 22 fatal shooting on the edge of the University of Arizona campus.

Tucson police said a 24-year-old man was fatally shot and died at the scene and a second gunshot victim was seriously injured. They said the shooting apparently stemmed from a confrontation between two groups, but released few other details.

Tucson police identified Howard-Brown as a suspect in the case, and asked the public for help locating him – advising that he should be considered armed and dangerous – after searches aided by K-9s and helicopters failed to find him.

After unsuccessful leads on his whereabouts, Tucson police asked the U.S. Marshals Service to join the search.

U.S. Marshals found information pointing to a possible location in Charles City, and members of the Charles City Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service found Howard-Brown at the Kelly Street residence early on Jan. 20.

Tucson police say Howard-Brown briefly barricaded himself in the home, but was taken into custody without incident.

He was booked into the Floyd County Jail on an outstanding warrant for first degree murder and first-degree attempted murder, and he is currently awaiting extradition to Arizona. He is being held on a $1 million bond.

“The Tucson Police Department sincerely appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service Tucson Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Marshals Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force, and the Charles City Police Department, …” a press release from the Tucson department said.