4 face charges of aiding murder suspect's escape from Broward County courthouse

Sheriff says group helped Dayonte Resiles orchestrate getaway

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. ā€“ Four people have been arrested on charges of aiding in the escape of a 21-year-old murder suspect from the Broward County courthouse.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel announced the arrests during a Sunday afternoon news conference.

Winston Russell Jr., 22, of Sunrise; LaQuay Stern, 22, of Palm Bay; and 17-year-old twins Kreton Barnes and TreVon Barnes, of West Palm Beach, are accused of helping Dayonte Resiles orchestrate his escape from the downtown Fort Lauderdale courthouse Friday morning.

Israel detailed the roles that the suspects played in Resiles' getaway.

Hours before the incident, Israel said, Stern drove her sliver BMW to pick up Russell from his Sunrise home. Then they went to an apartment on Siesta Key Circle in Deerfield Beach, where they picked up two bags.Ā 

One of the bags contained clothing for Resiles, and the other had a generic police uniform, Israel said.Ā 

Next, Stern and Russell drove to West Palm Beach, where they picked up the twin brothers, and the foursome drove south to the Broward County courthouse, Israel said.

The Barnes brothers sat in the courtroom, where a pretrial hearing for Resiles was scheduled, while Stern and Russell waited in the BMW on the north sideĀ of the courthouse, Israel said.

"One of the twins coughed into a cellphone that was open between the twins and Stern and Russell in the vehicle," Israel said. "That cough was a message to alert them that Resiles was on his way down to the vehicle."

During the escape, ResilesĀ took off his jumpsuit, handcuffs and shackles. Surveillance video showed him run out of the courthouse wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts.

"There's only two ways to get out of cuffs," Israel said. "One is they weren't put on tight enough, or you have a cuff key."

Resiles got into the BMW and was driven to an apartment at an undisclosed location, Israel said.

Stern and Russell returned to Russell's Sunrise home, and Russell took possession of the bag that had the police uniform, Israel said.

Stern left for several hours and then met Russell at a Deerfield Beach apartment, where deputies ultimately tracked them down Saturday and took them into custody, Israel said.

The sheriff said the twins were apprehended in Palm Beach County and transferred to Broward County, where they remain in juvenile custody.

Resiles is charged in the 2014 death of Jill Halliburton Su, who was found dead in a bathtub in her Davie home. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Resiles.

Anyone with information about Resiles' whereabouts is asked to call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.


About the Authors:

Peter Burke returned for a second stint of duty at Local 10 News in February 2014.