Lynn murder suspect will return to Mass. to face charges

July 31, 2008 05:17 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Christopher Baxter, Globe Correspondent

NEW YORK -- A Lynn man who allegedly murdered a woman and then took his estranged girlfriend and their four small children captive as he fled to New York City has agreed to return to Massachusetts to face a murder charge.

Rodlyn Petitbois, 25, wearing short black dreadlocks and a black beard, looked haggard as he walked into Brooklyn Criminal Court, hands cuffed behind his back, for his arraignment on a fugitive from justice charge before Judge Frederick Arriaga.

Petitbois's lawyer, Carol Gray, told the judge that her client will not fight extradition and will return to Massachusetts. Petitbois signed an agreement to that effect.

Gray said after the hearing that she had spoken to her client and "he was crying a bit." She said, "I don't think this was any kind of cold-blooded incident. Things are not quite as it's been spun in the papers."

Steve O'Connell, a spokesman for Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett, said Petitbois would be returned to the state from New York tomorrow and an arraignment was likely Monday. He faces charges of first-degree murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Petitbois fled after allegedly stabbing and killing Greenland Etienne, 33, a mother of four who apparently had taken in his girlfriend and children. He was found about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood, while his family was discovered in a nearby park, police said.

Authorities in New York said they found the missing family less than eight hours after Massachusetts State Police issued an Amber Alert at 10:44 a.m. Wednesday -- their second such alarm in four days. The search included federal immigration officials, the FBI, and authorities in New York, where investigators almost immediately suspected Petitbois had fled because he had once lived there.

Paul Browne, Deputy Commissioner of the New York Police Department, said city police apprehended Petitbois about 45 minutes after New York State Police issued their own Amber Alert for the fugitive and missing family.

Petitbois was captured at the corner of Franklin Street and Union Avenue, Browne said in a telephone interview. "Three detectives in an unmarked police car roll up. One said 'Hey, Rod,' got his attention, went up to him, took him into custody. He then basically told us immediately where the family was. ... He was not armed and he gave no resistance."

The woman, Louna Eveillard, 26, and children were found minutes later, sitting under a tree in nearby Prospect Park, Browne said, adding that other than a wound to the mother's hand, everyone was is "in good health and good shape ... We notified the Mass State Police, which presumably will come down to take this person into custody."

Lynn police were called to 99 High Rock St. shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday and found Etienne suffering from a stab wound to the eye. She was taken to North Shore Medical Center in Salem and transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where she was pronounced dead. Witnesses told police that Petitbois had taken his family captive and fled.

Authorities identified the children as Ryan Petitbois, 3, Lyndsey Petitbois, 2, Lauren Petitbois, 1, and Roddick Petitbois, 11 months.