PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man wanted for murder in Oklahoma was arrested during a sex trafficking sting in Portland on Feb. 15.
Portland police said Alonzo John Kelly III, 36, responded to an online ad created by investigators and arrived at a Southeast Portland hotel, where he was arrested for patronizing a prostitute.
Kelly was using a fake identity, but once police learned his real name, they learned he was wanted for murder in Tulsa County.
Kelly is accused of killing his girlfriend, Charletta Thomas, in March 2016. She was 45 and a mother.
“It’s probably one of the best days of my life to know this guy is off the streets, he’s been caught,” the victim’s brother Richard DeBerry told KOIN/CBS affiliate News on 6 in Oklahoma.
DeBerry said he’s been grieving for his sister for 2 years and regrets that he didn’t realize she was a victim of domestic abuse.
“We want to make it clear that there are people and services available if you need it,” Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado said. “So if you’re watching this coverage today and are in an abusive relationship, you have a way out.”