Three Ocala men arrested in connection to murder cases

[Photo courtesy MCSO]

Three men wanted in connection with three unrelated murders in three states, including Florida, were arrested in Marion County over the last three days in January, according to a Marion County Sheriff’s Office press release.

Zafarri Francis, 26, was arrested without incident Jan. 29 at a residence in Northeast Ocala. He is a suspect in a homicide in Hudson County, New Jersey, and had three Hudson County warrants related to theft/receiving stolen property, firearm possession and no firearm permit. According to the press release, a warrant for murder was issued by Hudson County after Francis was arrested.

Personnel from the MCSO Intelligence Unit and Ocala Police Department Intelligence Unit, U.S. Marshals and Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team were involved in arresting Francis, the release indicated.

In the second arrest, on Jan. 30, MCSO patrol deputies seeking a vehicle believed to be involved in a homicide in Baldwin, Alabama, received a bulletin from the MCSO Intelligence Unit that the vehicle was stolen and possibly in the Reddick area, according to the press release.

Deputies stopped a vehicle driven by Zachri Frazier, 22, in Northwest Ocala after a brief pursuit. Frazier was arrested and charged with fleeing to elude a Law enforcement officer, grand theft of a motor vehicle, providing a false ID to law enforcement and driving without a license, according to the press release.

The investigation determined that Frazier was connected to a murder in Baldwin County and the press release indicated the vehicle he was driving belonged to the victim. The MCSO Intelligence Unit detectives coordinated the Marion County efforts of the homicide investigation for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and that agency’s investigation is ongoing.

The third arrest was made on Jan. 31. Dieuseul Charlemon, 22, was arrested after a months-long investigation at a location in Southeast Ocala by personnel from the MCSO and OPD Intelligence Units and U.S. Marshals, according to the press release.

Charlemon was sought on a Lake County warrant for first- and second-degree murder while wearing a mask and a Sumter County warrant for armed residential burglary and two Marion County warrants for failure to appear on aggregated fleeing to elude, fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer, grand theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, resisting arrest and driving without a license, the press release stated.

Following his arrest, Charlemon was found to be possessing a “controlled substance” and
drug paraphernalia, according to the press release.

All three men are currently held without bond in the Marion County Jail pending local charges/extradition, according to MCSO Public Information Officer Zachary Moore.