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Fugitive in 2002 fatal shooting, kidnapping found in Dominican Republic, arrested

Kareem Lightbourne, 47, booked into Broward County jail
Posted at 11:07 AM, Apr 04, 2024
and last updated 2024-04-04 11:07:48-04

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A fugitive accused of killing a man and kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and her child in 2002 has been arrested after more than two decades on the run.

Kareem Lightbourne, 47, was booked into the main Broward County jail on Wednesday. He had been sought in connection with the December 2002 fatal shooting of Kirk Ennis, 23, and the armed kidnapping of ex-girlfriend Monifa Smith and her then-2-year-old son.

According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, Lightbourne entered Smith's apartment in Lauderhill, where he shot and killed Ennis before kidnapping Smith and the boy.

Smith escaped a few hours later and Lightbourne later fled the state.

The FBI learned of Lightbourne's whereabouts in the Dominican Republic and obtained a federal warrant.

FBI Special Agent Willie Creech said Lightbourne was detained by authorities in the Dominican Republic and expelled to the U.S. for immigration violations.

Lightbourne was being held without bond.