A man wanted on murder charges in Florida was arrested Wednesday in Clayton County after police said he tried to run from officers, then gave a fake name after being apprehended.
Otis Abdul Washington, 27, of Hampton, was taken into custody around 9:10 p.m. by officers on an assigned detail at a gas station on Mt. Zion Road, Clayton police said in a news release. When the officers pulled into the Chevron station, they heard a car horn honk and saw a man run toward the back of the building.
The officers drove behind the station and got out of their patrol car to look around, police said. They noticed a man, later identified as Washington, trying to hide behind a white van. When the man appeared to realize he’d been spotted, he ran across Mt. Zion Road.
The officers chased Washington and were able to capture him, the release said. He was initially taken into custody on charges of loitering and prowling.
Police said Washington provided a fake name and birth date. but one of the officers was able to use a fingerprint ID scanner to determine his real identity. As a result, he faces additional charges of obstruction and giving a false name, according to online jail records.
At that point, the officers discovered he was wanted on a murder charge out of Broward County, Florida. According to the Broward sheriff’s office, Washington is accused of shooting someone in the parking lot of a Budgetel Inn on 31st Avenue in Pompano Beach.
The victim was found in the early morning hours of New Year’s Eve 2021, the sheriff’s office said. Washington was a fugitive for nearly 11 months before being arrested.
He was booked into the Clayton jail Wednesday night, online records show.
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