Vincente Box Carlito Arocho, a 28-year-old male rapper from Raleigh, North Carolina, was tragically killed on September 4, 2019. Known by his stage name Box Carlito, Arocho was shot in broad daylight in the 2700 block of Community Drive in Raleigh. The incident occurred just after 1 p.m. local time, and Arocho was declared dead at the scene. Alongside him, 31-year-old Jaquan Tyrone Dumas, who had been bailed out of Wake County Detention Center by Arocho just a day before, was also shot.
Dumas was transported to WakeMed, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The Raleigh Police Department swiftly launched an investigation into the double homicide. On September 7, 2019, two suspects, 21-year-old Jonathan Isaiah Manning and 22-year-old Tyshon Gerod Solomon, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Arocho and Dumas. Both suspects faced the possibility of life imprisonment if convicted. The arrests were a significant development in the case, as both Manning and Solomon had prior felony records.
The shooting of Arocho, who was of Hispanic descent, shocked the local community and the broader hip-hop scene. Arocho had previously made headlines in 2018 when he posted a $2.5 million bond to get out of jail for a marijuana charge. He had been vocal about the challenges he faced within the justice system, criticizing the high bond amount for what he described as a low-level felony. His death, occurring just a day after he had helped a friend secure release from jail, added a tragic layer to his story.
The investigation into the double homicide continued, with detectives seeking information from the public to piece together the events leading up to the shooting. The case highlighted the ongoing issues of violence and the impact of the criminal justice system on individuals like Arocho. As the legal proceedings against Manning and Solomon progressed, the community awaited justice for the loss of two lives in such a senseless act of violence.
