In a dramatic conclusion to a 15-year international manhunt, a Florida fugitive has been apprehended in Nairobi, Kenya, and extradited to the United States to face justice for a brutal murder committed when he was just a teenager.
The now 34-year-old man, who hails from Miami, is charged with the second-degree murder of Herbert Caniza in a 2010 robbery that turned deadly. According to court documents and witness statements, the then-19-year-old suspect went to Caniza’s residence on September 7, 2010, with the intention of robbing him of drugs and money.
When Caniza opened the door, he was shot in the chest. The case, however, was cracked not just by physical evidence but by a critical tip from an unexpected source: the suspect’s own mother.
The T-Shirt, The Roommate, and The Mother
The initial investigation yielded a crucial piece of evidence: a “Warner Brothers” t-shirt recovered at the crime scene. The shirt, which did not belong to the victim, had been modified to be used as a makeshift mask. The suspect’s roommate confirmed to authorities that he had been with the suspect when the shirt was purchased.
Another associate told investigators that the suspect had been “acting paranoid, anxious, and very erratic” on the day of the murder.
Yet, the real break in the case came when the suspect’s mother came forward. She revealed that just days after the killing, her son contacted her, stating he was in danger and needed to leave the area immediately. She admitted to inadvertently helping him evade capture by booking his travel to Brazil to stay with family.
It remains unclear when the suspect moved from Brazil to Kenya, but the trail eventually led to East Africa. The Miami Police Department, collaborating with federal agencies and international partners, tracked him to Nairobi, where he was arrested by local authorities.
A Pattern of Fugitives Finding Refuge in Nairobi
This arrest marks the second high-profile extradition of an American fugitive from Nairobi this year. In July, a 20-year-old man from Washington state was arrested in the Kenyan capital in connection with the January 2024 homicide of Mingyuan Huang during an attempted robbery in Tukwila.
The successful operation highlights the increasing cooperation between U.S. authorities and international law enforcement in tracking down suspects who flee across borders.
The Florida fugitive has been extradited to Miami, where he was arraigned and is currently being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Centre, finally facing the justice he eluded for a decade and a half.
