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After 46 days on the run, Janard Domic Childs is behind bars.
Childs, 34, was arrested Wednesday, April 8, outside an apartment in Plant City — just across the Polk County line — bringing a weeks-long manhunt to an end. He is accused of fatally shooting his former friend, Deandre “Dre” Montgomery Sr., outside the Jade Fox Lounge in the early hours of Feb. 22.
When he was arrested, Childs no longer had his distinctive shoulder-length dreadlocks, a change that may have helped him avoid detection.
Lakeland Police announced the capture in a news release issued at 11:48 p.m. Wednesday. They said Childs was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Hillsborough County Jail.
He faces charges of second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and tampering with or destroying physical evidence.
Found just outside Polk
Childs had been the subject of an intense, highly visible search since the shooting. Lakeland Police Department issued an arrest warrant the same day.
Investigators spent weeks tracking leads and sought help from the public, offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Childs’ arrest.
Lakeland Police did not disclose if a tip to Heartland Crime Stoppers played a role in Childs’ capture.
“This arrest represents a step toward justice for the family of Mr. Montgomery,” Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said in the release.
“I’m proud of the dedication shown by our detectives, who have worked tirelessly to pursue every lead since the night of the homicide.”
Taylor also credited multiple agencies for assisting in the arrest, including the U.S. Marshals Service, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Plant City Police Department.
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