In the spring of 2025, the life of 40-year-old Kevin Dale Evans Jr. was tragically cut short in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On the evening of April 6th, friends of Evans became concerned when they were unable to reach him. Their concern led them to his residence in the 3900 block of Geronimo Street to conduct a welfare check. Upon entering the home, they made a grim discovery.
Evans was found deceased, having suffered from multiple gunshot wounds.
Baton Rouge Police were called to the scene at approximately 6:59 p.m. and immediately launched a homicide investigation. Detectives began the arduous process of piecing together the events that led to the fatal shooting. The investigation would stretch over several weeks, gradually uncovering a network of individuals allegedly involved in the aftermath of the crime.
The first significant break in the case came on the night of April 16th, when police arrested 19-year-old Joshua Mancusi-Ungaro. He was taken into custody and subsequently booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. Mancusi-Ungaro faced serious charges, including second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon, directly linking him to the shooting death of Evans.
The investigation did not end with the primary suspect's arrest. Detectives learned that Mancusi-Ungaro had allegedly received assistance in his attempt to flee the Baton Rouge area following the murder. This led them to 37-year-old Hazel Mancusi-Ungaro. On May 17th, she was apprehended by the Krotz Springs Police Department on a warrant issued by Baton Rouge Police for accessory after the fact to second-degree murder. She was then transported to the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.
A third individual was implicated in the effort to help the alleged shooter evade capture. Investigators determined that 34-year-old Paul Thomas had also assisted Joshua Mancusi-Ungaro in leaving the city after the homicide. U.S. Marshals and the St. John Parish Sheriff's Office located and arrested Thomas at his workplace in St. John Parish on June 10th. He was initially booked into the local jail there before being transported to the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on June 12th to face a charge of accessory after the fact of second-degree murder. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Kevin Dale Evans Jr.'s death remains ongoing.
