DALLAS — A Dallas capital murder suspect who removed his ankle monitor and went missing days before his trial has been captured in Oklahoma.
Dallas police on Thursday announced that Tyrese Simmons, 23, was taken into custody in Tulsa after he went missing earlier this month. He will soon be extradited back to Dallas.
The now 23-year-old was charged with capital murder in the shooting death of 9-year-old Bradoniya Bennett in August 2019 as he allegedly targeted a rival rapper who lived next door to the victim at an East Dallas apartment.
Police at the time said there had been an ongoing feud between Simmons and the other rapper that led to an exchange of gunfire. During the incident, Bennett was shot in the head while sitting on a sofa in her apartment.
“It is believed that the suspect mistakenly fired at the wrong apartment unit after running around the building to the back of the apartment complex," Simmons' arrest warrant stated.
Simmons' trial was set to begin on June 5 before sources told WFAA that he removed his ankle monitor and went missing.
Police in Tulsa said in a statement that Simmons was located on Thursday, June 22, at a hotel. There was a standoff between the 23-year-old and police after he refused to come out of the room, according to police.
He was taken into custody after officers deployed pepper balls, police said. He's being held in the Tulsa County jail without bond due to his fugitive status, according to records.
Simmons will face charges in Oklahoma, and if he refuses to be extradited back to Dallas -- paperwork will need filed by the county to process the extradition.
A second man, Davonte Benton, was arrested and charged with capital murder for his involvement in the deadly shooting that August 2019 day. He was convicted in 2022 and was sentenced to 45 years in prison.