A Jamaican national was arrested in the United States this month after escaping police custody in Saint Lucia in 2020.
Orville Andrew Pernell was apprehended on April 4 by the US’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Savannah, Georgia, following an extensive investigation and multinational manhunt.
The 32-year-old gained widespread attention in October of 2020 when he escaped from the Babonneau Police Station (Pernelle was charged for causing the death of Cleus Alfred of Ravine Macock, on August 25, 2020, at Trouya, Gros Islet).
He fled to Jamaica thereafter.
In 2021, he was arrested in Jamaica but managed to escape again.
According to a press release from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Pernell on Dec. 7, 2022, near San Ysidro, California, after he attempted to enter the US using a fake identity. He was paroled into the country and given a notice to appear.
In July of 2023, Pernell was arrested by the Clayton County Sheriff in Clayton County, Georgia, for the possession of a stolen motorcycle and attempting to evade arrest. During the arrest, police discovered a stolen 9mm handgun.
After several run-ins with the law and evading police for years, the Jamaican was finally captured.
“We are committed to tracking down fugitives who pose a serious threat to public safety, no matter where they may try to hide,” ICE HSI Special Agent in Charge of Atlanta Steven N. Schrank said, who also covers Georgia and Alabama. “This operation highlights our ongoing work to dismantle criminal networks and bring violent individuals to justice. We are thankful for our local, state, and international law enforcement partners who helped us secure this arrest.”
Pernell faces charges for being “an alien in possession of a weapon”, and after he is extradited to Saint Lucia, will stand murder trial. (He will be placed at the Bordelais Correctional Facility when he returns.)
“The investigations into the circumstances surrounding his escape here in Saint Lucia will continue. Now that he’s being brought back, we may get some further insight into what may have actually happened,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Luke Defreitas said this week, noting that “There are additional charges of escaping lawful custody to be preferred.”
“We are commissioning our newly built Custody Suites in the next couple of weeks… so we do have very safe areas to detain the suspect… I have every confidence that we have all the facilities necessary to house and keep the suspect safe,” he said.
Moreover, the ACP added, “We are hoping that within the next week to a fortnight the gentleman should be back.”