Gang Member Who Shot 10-Year-Old Has 'No Value For Life'

POMPANO BEACH — The man apprehended in Florida and accused of killing a 10-year-old Asbury Park boy had been considered a "dangerous fugitive with no sense of value for life," according to the U.S. Marshal's Office of South Florida.

Hours after Karon Council's name and picture were spread across the country as the alleged gunman in the death of Yovanni Banos-Merino, the18-year-old Neptune Township man was arrested at a apartment in South Florida on Sunday, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

"Council was a very dangerous fugitive with no sense of value for life and could of easily continued his violent behavior in South Florida," Asst. Chief U.S. Marshal Manny Puri said in a statement to NBC 4 New York.

He was held Sunday night at the Broward County Sheriff's Office jail. Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Chris Swendeman said Council is scheduled to appear Tuesday in Florida Circuit Court in Fort Lauderdale for an extradition hearing to begin the process of being returned to Monmouth County to face charges.

The charges are murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in Merino's death.

There could be additional arrests in the case, according to Swendeman.

NBC 4 New York quoted US Marshals saying Council was a member of the Bloods gang. The report said he used the name "Boogie."

Neither Gramiccioni nor the US Marshal's office have disclosed how Council got to Florida or where he was staying. WSVN-TV reporter Brian Entin in a Twitter message said quoted marshals saying Council was with hiding out with his girlfriend.

The US Marshal's Office has not yet returned messages from the Townsquare News Network.

Questions still remain about the shooting remain:

Motive for the shooting: The Prosecutor's Office said Council fired the fatal shots through the home on Ridge Avenue because he had "an issue" with a man who lived in the house, officials said. The Prosecutor has not publicly spoken more about Council's relationship was to the family.
Where were shots fired from: The location of where the shots were fired from was not disclosed. Video posted on Twitter by NBC 4 New York's Brian Thompson showed at least four bullet holes in the siding of the house and through a window. Swendeman said last week that as of that point, the weapon had been not been recovered.
Where everyone was in the house: Officials have not said where the victims were in the house when the shots were fired.
The role of 16-year-old: A 16-year-old student at Neptune High School was arrested Thursday and charged in the shooting death, but authorities said he was not the gunman. The township high school was placed on a lockdown Thursday as police arrested the teen, whose name they are not releasing because of his age. The teen has been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

A GoFundMe page continues to accept donations for Merlino's funeral. Details have not yet been announced by his family.