A man who went on the run after cutting his ankle monitor just days before his murder trial in Dallas County was arrested Thursday after a standoff in Oklahoma, authorities say.
Tyrese Simmons, 23, is accused of the 2019 murder of 9-year-old Brandoniya Bennett. Dallas County pretrial services said earlier this month it received a tamper alert from the ankle monitor Simmons has worn since he was released on bond back in December of 2019.
In a social media post Thursday, Tulsa Police said Simmons was arrested after a standoff at a hotel in the 1000 block of North Garnett Road, near Interstate 244 in Tulsa.
"Officers attempted to get Simmons to come out of a room at the hotel, but he refused," Tulsa Police said in a statement. "After making commands and attempting to get Simmons out for several hours, Officers deployed pepper balls, and Tyrese Simmons was taken into custody."
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He is being held at the Tulsa County Jail until he is extradited to Dallas, police said.
Simmons’ attorney Josh Healy told NBC 5's partners at The Dallas Morning News that he will be extradited to Dallas and a new trial will be scheduled. Healy said he didn’t know when the extradition would take place.
Fort Worth attorney Bobbie Edmonds, who is not associated with this trial, said Simmons tampering with the ankle monitor broke a condition of his bond, but not the law. She added it may not factor into his trial.
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"The lawyers will probably try to keep that out because that could tamper with the jury," attorney Bobbie Edmonds said. "There will be some motions, probably. Motions limiting files and if they do allow some of that to come in they'll have to approach the judge, too, if whether or not it's going to be prejudicial to his case."
Dallas Police said 9-year-old Bennett was killed when Simmons, who was feuding with a fellow rapper, fired into her Old East Dallas apartment by mistake.
A second man charged with Bennett's murder, Davonte Benton, was convicted last year and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Simmons faces up to life in prison if convicted of murder.
Simmons' escape happened just days after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law that criminalizes tampering with ankle monitors.
