Wild timeline for captured Louisiana inmate: Multiple names aided escapee’s rampage across Harris Co., documents show

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A manhunt is underway for one of two escapees who wound up in Harris County after breaking free from a jail facility in Louisiana last year.

One suspect was captured on the northwest side of town Tuesday night, but the other remains on the run and is considered dangerous. KPRC 2 has discovered that the captured inmate, Dakeylon Berry, not only went by another name, Daylon Johnson, but was arrested and released from the Harris County Jail while he was a fugitive.

KPRC 2 found documents showing “Berry/Johnson” is being accused of crisscrossing the city in an extremely violent crime spree.

How it all began

In total, five inmates managed to escape from the Markesville DC-1 jail facility in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, on Sept. 27, 2021. Multiple reports indicate several inmates managed to bust through a wall behind a sink in a holding area, then slipped through a hole in a fence.

Louisiana authorities released the names of the escapees at the time, identifying them as William Johnson, 27; Kyle Cavalier, 19; Davantae Williams, 20, Rondrakus Taylor, 19, and Berry, who was listed as 19 years old.

Top: William Johnson (L) and Kyle Cavalier (R) Bottom: Davantae Williams (L) and Rondrakus Taylor (R) (KPRC)

Johnson, Cavalier and Williams were captured after the escape -- exact dates and times unknown -- while Berry and Taylor made their way to Harris County, authorities said.

It was in the Houston area where multiple violent offenses were committed against unsuspecting residents, with several linking to Berry, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

The luck ran out for Berry Tuesday when he was spotted in the 100 block of Hollow Tree and taken into custody.

Deputies then turned their attention to locating Taylor, whom Berry refers to as his “brother,” although they are not related. Around 10 p.m., deputies surrounded what has been described as a “drug house” in the 2700 block of Skelton where they thought Taylor was barricaded, but he was never found.

Taylor, 19, is described as a Black male, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, with black hair. Authorities suspect he may be headed back home to the Mansura area.

A tipster helped KPRC 2 discover a twist in the case. The tipster said that Berry was also the same suspect profiled in a KPRC 2 news story in January. There was just one issue, although the person’s appearance was the same, the names were different.

KPRC 2 investigated further and, after tracking down several court documents, was the first media outlet to report that Berry was jailed under his alias, further connecting his alias to several violent crimes that were committed after the Louisiana jailbreak.

Timeline of alleged crimes

Nov. 18, 2021

Charge: Aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery

Agency: Harris County Sheriff’s Office (was not positively identified until January 2022)

Details: On Jan. 18, KPRC 2 reported on air, online and in a push alert via our app about a suspect on the run after allegedly robbing and kidnapping a woman from a Domino’s Pizza in north Harris County. The details of what the woman endured were extremely violent in nature.

The woman told investigators that she was waiting for her order outside the pizza shop, located in the 1200 block of Veteran’s Memorial Drive, when a man tapped on her driver’s side window with a gun and threatened to shoot her if she did not roll down the window. The man demanded cash, but the woman told him she did not have any money on her. He then hopped into her vehicle and told her to drive to the nearest ATM, according to documents.

Records state the victim did as she was told, driving to an ATM and withdrawing $800. At some point during the ride, the suspect allegedly struck her in the head with a gun because he did not like her driving. After leaving the ATM, the woman said the suspect told her to drive back to the pizza shop, where he fled on foot.

Investigators said they were able to positively identity Johnson -- which we now know is Berry’s alias -- as the suspect through fingerprints and photos.

Nov. 21, 2021

Charge: Aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon

Arrested and released: Booked into Harris County Jail and released after posting $40,000 bond.

Agency: Houston Police Department

Details: Accused of robbing a woman, but no specific details of the crime were released. Court documents state Johnson, “with the intent to obtain and maintain control of property, intentionally and knowingly, threatened” the victim who was in fear of imminent bodily injury and death.

Nov. 29, 2021

Deputies responded to reports of a shooting in the 400 block of W. FM 1960 near the North Freeway around 6:30 p.m.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said a rideshare driver picked up a passenger and, at some point, the passenger shot the driver in the arm during a possible attempted robbery.

The victim said a passenger he picked up on FM 1960 in Spring put a gun to his head and demanded him to withdraw $3,000 from an ATM. The driver told the suspect he did not have the money and begged for his life, saying he had a family. The suspect grew angry and shot the driver in the arm, authorities said.

The suspect fled on foot and the driver was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

A source with law enforcement told KPRC 2 that Berry is the suspect in this case, but no charges have been filed at this time.

December 2021

Law enforcement sources shared with KPRC 2 that Berry is also suspected in two other violent crimes involving carjackings and shootings in December 2021, but no charges have been filed yet in either of those cases. The source also said a gun found at one of the scenes links several of the cases.

The investigation continues. As with all criminal cases, suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.


About the Authors:

Mother of two. Award-winning lover of digital storytelling, sparked by my fascination of being a fashionable gossip like my favorite "Willona Woods" character from "Good Times." On the serious side, president of the Houston Association of Black Journalists and dedicated community servant. Happy to share the news with you each and every day!