According to officials, 25-year-old Tyvine Jones fled in April 2024 after two of his alleged accomplices were arrested. U.S. Marshals located him at the Stratford Court Apartment complex in Lansdowne, following an anonymous tip.
"Jones evaded law enforcement by using the resources of his group to frequently change locations within Philadelphia and nearby counties," said Joe Lanuti, assistant chief of the Gun Violence Task Force in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.
Neighbors at the apartment complex said they were stunned by the arrest.
"I was surprised, like nothing really happens here, it's usually pretty quiet. I have never seen that guy before," said Lansdowne resident Kate Dobbins.
"A hitman? I don't know, we have a lot of old folks and that's about it," said resident Lillie Wood.
Authorities said the arrest is connected to a grand jury investigation into gang violence in North Philadelphia. Jones is accused of killing three people between 2020 and 2022.
In August 2020, he allegedly shot 16-year-old Hayward Garrison on the 2200 block of West Diamond Street.
In May 2022, he was accused of killing 20-year-old Wesley Rodwell on the 1600 block of West Erie Avenue.
And in September 2022, in a shooting captured on surveillance video, Jones allegedly shot 23-year-old Ryan Findley in the head on the 1600 block of Creston Street.
"In two of the cases - specifically the Rodwell and Garrison case - these individuals were viewed as enemies or rivals of Mr. Jones," Lanuti said. "Findley - I'm not at liberty to get into the reasons behind that case."
Action News has learned that Jones was arrested on gun charges in 2020, about a month after Garrison was killed. In 2022, a little over a month before the shooting of Rodwell, he was sentenced to three years of supervised probation.
The District Attorney's Office said Jones was placed on house arrest for the 2020 charge prior to his sentencing date because he was a first-time offender.
It was also a COVID-era policy in Philadelphia to largely refrain from detaining non-violent offenders.
The DA's office said the grand jury investigation into gang violence in North Philadelphia didn't begin until mid-2023. Up until then, the agencies involved may have known Jones was associated with a gang, but they weren't aware of the extent of his involvement.
The investigation revealed further evidence relating to his alleged roles in the murders.
Jones is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 29 for a preliminary hearing. His court-appointed attorney, Douglas Dolfman, said he is preparing a vigorous defense.