Fugitive caught 8 years after choking boss to death with zip ties in NYC jewelry store, DA says

A man accused of strangling his boss to death wit zip ties and subsequently fleeing the country has been caught and extradited back to New York, where the alleged killing took place, authorities said. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced this week that his office brought a second-degree murder charge against the longtime fugitive.

Michel Patrick DeSalles, 54, allegedly attacked his employer while working at a jewelry store in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood on Feb. 14, 2017, according to Bragg’s office, which cited court documents. Prosecutors say DeSalles tied two zip ties around the boss’ neck until he died, before proceeding to flee to Mauritius, the island nation where he is originally from. 

The jeweler, Omid Gholian, was found dead by police and his relatives inside the bathroom of his family-owned store, World of Gold N Diamond, the day after the murder, CBS New York reported at the time.  They discovered Gholian’s body with the zip ties wrapped around his neck, in addition to a gash and bruising on his head and face. 

Authorities said the lights were still on in the jewelry store, and nothing was stolen, CBS New York reported.

DeSalles allegedly purchased a ticket to Mauritius from John F. Kennedy International Airport within three hours of the killing, Bragg’s office said, and flew out that night. He was arrested in Mauritius with help from the country’s attorney general and police force, before being extradited back to the United States on Friday.

“I hope the victim’s loved ones can take some measure of comfort that this defendant will finally face accountability in New York,” Bragg said in a statement. “I thank our prosecutors for never wavering from the investigation and doggedly seeking the return of this defendant.”