COLUMBUS – In the early hours of Friday the 13th, 2020, the city of Columbus recorded its 144th homicide of the year, setting a new record for murders in a single year.
UPDATE 11/13/20 2:55 p.m. with victim and suspect information.
The previous record was 143 in 2017.
Murder charges were filed Friday afternoon against Djuan Jones, 28, in the death of Kelvin Thomas.
UPDATE 11/20/20 8:30 a.m.: Djuan Jones (corrected spelling) was arrested by Columbus SWAT in the New Albany at 10:35 a.m. on Nov. 19.
According to Columbus police social media accounts, Whitehall police called Columbus officers to the 5700 block of High Rock Drive to locate a missing person at 3:52 a.m.
Officers located Thomas, 58, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Meanwhile, the victims of the city’s 142nd and 143rd homicides were identified as Esteban Hernandez, 32, and Alfredo Ponce, stabbed to death in a mobile home park at 755 Stelzer Road early Monday morning, Sgt. David Shimberg of the Homicide Unit said.