Framingham Police Department
Police say the suspect tried to run, but was caught after he stumbled and his wig came off.
An Ohio man wanted for five years in connection to the death of his then-girlfriend's toddler, 2-year-old Jamir Jones, was apprehended last week in Massachusetts after his wig fell off, according to authorities.
The Framingham Police Department released the news that they had picked up Dioblis Williams, 25, after he was spotted in an obvious wig walking down the city's streets with another individual.
In their press release of his arrest, the FPD described the deceased as "his 2-year-old child."
They stated that members of the Framingham Police Department’s Community Impact Unit, K9 Unit, and Patrol Division were awaiting a briefing on the suspect on the morning of August 27. He was believed in the city because of his Instagram usage, investigators explained.
One officer en route to the briefing "noticed a pair of individuals walking on the sidewalk, one of whom appeared to be wearing a wig," which drew his attention.
"As he was driving there, he noticed these two and noticed that they did not fit the area. They were unknown to him," Framingham Deputy Chief Sean Riley told ABC affiliate WCVB. The outlet states that another officer then tried to approach the suspect and he fled across the street -- but surrendered after he stumbled and dropped his wig.
The suspect has been wanted since August after he'd been charged with murder in the the March 25, 2020 death of a 2-year-old boy in his care. He had been babysitting his girlfriend's son while she was at work when the death occurred, as detailed by CBS affiliate WBNS.
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View StoryAccording to court documents, Williams allegedly put the child into the bathtub and then left him unsupervised for several minutes, at which point he was reportedly found unconscious in the water.
Police responded to a drowning report at approximately 2 p.m. When first responders arrived, per WBNS at the time, the boy was not breathing, and so a medic began CPR. The boy was ultimately taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy, however, revealed there was much more to the story, as it was determined that the boy's death was not, in fact, the result of a drowning. Instead, the medical examiner's office determined he died as the result of blunt force trauma to his abdomen, while there were numerous bruises observed on his stomach, head, and neck.
"He was so jolly. He was such a happy baby and he had the most infectious smile," said the victim's great-grandmother Bernice Anderson Pearson, who told WCVB the family has been waiting years for justice.
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View Story"You'll never replace that 2-year-old," said Riley. "But knowing that that person is now in custody and is going to face a judge or a jury, that’s probably a big relief for them."
In a release from the U.S. Marshals Service, Acting U.S. Marshal Kevin W. Neal said, "Today's arrest is a reminder that you can run, but you can't hide."
"Mr. Williams thought that he could evade arrest and accountability by hiding in Massachusetts. I hope that today’s arrest brings us one step closer to justice for a young child whose life ended tragically," he continued.
Williams has been charged with Fugitive from Justice and the Ohio Warrant for Murder. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, he will be arraigned in Massachusetts and then extradited to Ohio to face his charges there.
If you are experiencing or witness child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911.