Roxborough

Final suspect in murder of Philly teen captured after jumping out of window, officials say

Officials have apprehended Dayron Burney-Thorn, the fifth suspected gunman sought in the slaying of 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde in 2022

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What to Know

  • Nicolás Elizalde, 14, was killed -- and several other teens were wounded -- in September when, officials said, five people jumped from a parked SUV and opened fire at a high school athletic field in Roxborough.
  • Dayron Burney-Thorn was the last person sought in this shooting. He was apprehended in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood after he jumped out of a 4-story apartment window in an attempt to escape, officials said.
  • Four others have already been arrested and charged with murder in this slaying.

The final teen suspect in the 2022 murder of a 14-year-old boy jumped out of the window of an apartment in an attempt to escape before he was captured by U.S. Marshals on Monday, investigators said.

Dayron Burney-Thorn, 17, was arrested in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood, according to officials.

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Burney-Thorn was wanted in connection to the shooting death of Nicolás Elizalde, 14, near Roxborough High School back on Sept. 27, 2022. He was also wanted in connection to a separate homicide that occurred on Sept. 26, 2022, on the 600 block of North 13th Street in Philadelphia, investigators said.

U.S. Marshals developed information over the past few months that Burney-Thorn was possibly back in Philadelphia after he fled the area. They then determined he was staying at an apartment on the 200 block of West Walnut Lane.

Around 1:45 p.m. Monday, members of the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force surrounded the apartment complex, knocked and announced their presence, officials said. After trying to stall investigators, Burney-Thorn then opened a window of the fourth floor apartment complex and jumped out of it in an attempt to flee, officials said.

Officers who were on the ground then struggled with Burney-Thorn before placing him into custody. The teen was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

U.S. Marshals provided these photos of Dayron Burney-Thorn's arrest.

Burney-Thorn had been on the run for at least a year after he was named as a suspect in Elizalde's slaying, investigators said.

According to law enforcement officials, Burney-Thorn was one of five people who, allegedly, ambushed Elizalde outside Roxborough High School on Sept. 27 of last year.

Police believe that Elizalde was killed when several gunmen jumped out of an SUV and began firing at a group of high school football players following a scrimmage outside the school.

Four teens believed to be involved in this incident -- Zyhied Jones, 17; Yaaseen Bivins, 21; Troy Fletcher, 15; and Saleem Miller, 16 -- were charged with murder and ordered to head to trial earlier this year.

Prior to Monday, U.S. Marshals' office had said they believed Burney-Thorn was hiding out in the Atlanta, Georgia, area and officials were working with a task force there in an effort to locate him.

There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.

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