A man is in custody nine months after he allegedly killed another man at a night club in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Twenty-nine-year-old Edward Javier-Perez was shot to death at the Energy Lounge on Christmas Eve in 2023.
The Essex County District Attorney's Office said Thursday that 27-year-old Franklin Laras of Lawrence was in custody, but did not say where he was apprehended.
In March, the U.S. Marshals announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to Laras' arrest, noting he was considered armed and dangerous.
In the wake of the shooting, Energy Lounge's license to operate was suspended
"This decision was made in part due to fact that the matter is under investigation by the Lawrence Police Department and Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office," Lawrence police said in a statement days after the shooting. "Furthermore, the nature of the incident, with the perpetrator(s) still at large, the Acting Chief has determined that in the interest of public safety, the City must close the establishment and suspend the establishments license to operate until such time that the investigation is complete. This immediate action is being taken on an expedited basis due to the overriding public safety concern."
Javier-Perez' girlfriend, Gerimar Maria, previously said she wanted his killer to be caught.
"We want justice," she said. "We don't want anyone to get hurt. Just justice."
Laras will be arraigned Friday at Essex County Superior Court in Salem. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.
