SUSPECT IN LOS ANGELES AREA DOUBLE HOMICIDE CAPTURED BY TUCSON POLICE AFTER U.S. MARSHAL TASK FORCE INVESTIGATION

Tucson, AZ. – A man suspected in a grisly Los Angeles area double homicide was arrested January 18th by Tucson Police after receiving information from local U.S. Marshals. Christopher Anthony Brown, 38, was arrested without incident after Tucson Police recognized the minivan Brown was driving and initiated a high risk traffic stop at approximately 9:45am on Tucson’s south side.

Brown is wanted in Los Angeles County, Calif. for the November 2006 murder of his girlfriend and her 18 year old daughter. Both were shot and killed in the Lancaster, Calif. (approximately 80 miles north of Los Angeles) home of Brown’s girlfriend. Her teenage daughter was visiting from South Carolina at the time of the murders. The bodies were not discovered by authorities until mid December 2006 and the homicide investigation initiated. Further, Brown is wanted in Pima County under the alias of Harry Janis on charges relating to a 2004 conspiracy to possess and transport marijuana.

After developing suspect information, the Los Angeles County Sheriff requested assistance from the Los Angeles based U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRFTF) in capturing Brown. On January 17, 2007, the PSWRFTF investigation led to Tucson where investigators believed Brown may be hiding at a number of local addresses. Later that same day, local U.S. Marshals and the Pima County FIST Unit narrowed the address information and began surveillance of a home in the 10400 block of E. Overland Ridge Rd (near Houghton and Irvington).

Shortly after 9:00am on January 18th, an individual matching Brown’s description was seen leaving the E. Overland Ridge Rd. address in a tan Toyota Sienna minivan without license plates. The van began to drive erratically at high rate of speed through a residential area. U.S. Marshals and FIST detectives alerted Tucson Police who subsequently located the van on E. Golf Links Rd near S. Pantano. Tucson Police coordinated a high risk traffic stop that occurred near the intersection of E. Irvington and S. Campbell.

After his arrest by Tucson Police, Brown was turned over to the Pima County Sheriff and booked into the Pima County Jail. Brown faces the local narcotics charges and extradition to Los Angeles County, Calif. on the homicide charges.

A photo of Brown is available by contacting the Pima County Sheriffs Department.

For further information about the U.S. Marshals: www.usmarshals.gov.