A man on the run from authorities was spotted dressed in a disguise about 750 miles from where he was wanted for murder, according to law enforcement.
Dioblis Williams, 25, has been charged with murder in Franklin County, Ohio, according to court records. The case dates back more than five years, when Ja’Mir Jones, a two-year-old, was discovered dead in a bathtub in Columbus, Ohio.
On March 25, 2020, officers from the Columbus Division of Police responded to a home following a report of a child drowning in a bathtub. When officers arrived, Ja’Mir was not breathing, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. He was pronounced dead after being taken to a children’s hospital, and the case was quickly ruled homicide.
Body camera footage obtained by local ABC affiliate WSYX showed Williams speaking with responding officers, reportedly informing them that the boy had drowned in the bathtub. But the authorities were skeptical.
An autopsy determined that Ja’Mir did not drown, but rather died as a result of blunt force trauma to the abdomen. He is said to have bruises on his face, torso, and neck, but his lungs were clear.
According to an affidavit reviewed by the outlet, after Ja’Mir had an accident in his diaper, Williams — Ja’Mir’s mother’s boyfriend and the boy’s babysitter that day — allegedly repeatedly hit the child, resulting in his death.
Fast forward more than five years and roughly 750 miles east, where the United States Marshals Service (USMS) issued a warrant for Williams’ arrest after he was believed to be in Framingham, Massachusetts.
On August 27, around 8:30 a.m., a K-9 officer with the Framingham Police Department was walking to a briefing when he “noticed a pair of individuals walking on the sidewalk, one of whom appeared to be wearing a wig,” according to the agency.
Officers continued to examine the person and “came to the determination that the individual wearing the wig was indeed the male that the USMS and [Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section] were intending to arrest,” according to the police department.
“Today’s arrest is a reminder that you can run, but you can’t hide,” acting U.S. Marshal Kevin W. Neal said after the incident. “Mr. Williams believed he could evade arrest and accountability by hiding in Massachusetts. I hope today’s arrest moves us one step closer to justice for a young child whose life ended tragically.”
Video from WSYX showed a man identified as Williams sprinting away from a cop, tripping, and throwing something believed to be the wig off his head before surrendering to the officer. He had been formally charged with murder the week prior.
The Framingham Police Department released a photo of the suspect in disguise, complete with a long reddish-blonde wig, black sunglasses, and what appears to be a large hair tie.
Dioblis Williams was allegedly wearing a disguise when police arrested him (Framingham Police Department).
“Hallelujah, thank the Lord,” Ja’Mir’s great-grandmother told a Columbus television station. “I have prayed for this for five years. Five long years. Since 2020, I’ve prayed for his capture because I knew he did it.”
Williams was brought back to Ohio and arraigned on Friday on murder charges. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for September 19.
