Mauritian Suspect Arrested in NY Murder After 8 Years on the Run 

After eight years in hiding, an international manhunt has culminated in the arrest of a suspect in connection with a murder case in New York. Michel Patrick DeSalles, a Mauritian national, is now in custody and facing justice.

This case has made headlines across the United States. The 54-year-old Mauritian, accused of killing his employer in Manhattan, was arrested in Mauritius and extradited to the United States following years on the run.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced this week that DeSalles has been formally charged with second-degree murder. Prosecutors allege that he strangled his employer, Omid Gholian, with two zip ties before fleeing the United States hours after the crime.

The incident occurred on February 14, 2017, at a jewelry store in the upscale Tribeca neighborhood of New York City, where DeSalles had worked for nearly a decade.

Gholian, an Iranian-born jeweler of Orthodox Jewish faith, was found dead in the bathroom of his family-run store, World of Gold N Diamond.

His body showed signs of violence to the face and head, with plastic restraints still wrapped around his neck. Notably, nothing was stolen, and the store’s lights remained on at the time of discovery.

According to U.S. authorities, DeSalles left the country on the evening of the murder, purchasing a ticket to Mauritius from JFK Airport less than three hours after the crime.

He lived freely on the island until his recent arrest, which was made possible through close cooperation between American and Mauritian law enforcement agencies.

The U.S. Department of Justice, via its Office of International Affairs, along with the American Embassy in Port Louis, U.S. Marshals Service, the Mauritian Attorney General’s Office, and local police, coordinated efforts to locate, apprehend, and extradite the suspect.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office also played a key role in the operation.

Inspector Shiva Coothen of the Police Press Office provided further details: “Once the official alert was issued by the American authorities through the Foreign Office, Interpol Mauritius contacted Interpol International for information on the suspect.

Mauritian Operation

“An operation was then launched to track him down, while the Attorney General’s Office initiated extradition procedures. After obtaining a Supreme Court order, the suspect was handed over to U.S. authorities. Interpol Mauritius, through the Central CID, coordinated the effort, with assistance from the Field Intelligence Office in the West which helped locate the fugitive.”

The arrest was welcomed by NY District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who expressed hope that the victim’s family would find some comfort in knowing that the suspect will finally face justice in New York.

Omid Gholian’s brother, Jacob, described him as a gentle and generous man who even shared his lunch with DeSalles, whom he regarded “as part of the family.” “When I was told he was a suspect, I couldn’t believe it,” Jacob told American media.

Source: Defi Media