In the early morning hours of April 29, 2022, Naya Ruffin, a 22-year-old woman, was tragically killed during a home invasion at her apartment in Indianapolis. The incident occurred at her residence in the 5700 block of San Paulo Circle. At the time of the break-in, Ruffin was asleep on the couch following an argument with her boyfriend, who was in the bedroom with their one-year-old daughter.
Around 1 a.m., two masked men shattered a sliding glass door to gain entry into the apartment.
The sound of the breaking glass and Ruffin's screams woke her boyfriend. He was then confronted by one of the intruders, who was armed with a rifle. After a struggle, the boyfriend was subdued and held at gunpoint while the intruders demanded valuables and stole items from a safe. During the robbery, a gunshot was heard. After the intruders fled, Ruffin was found in the hallway with a gunshot wound to her chest. A neighbor attempted to render aid before Ruffin was transported to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
For nearly two years, the case remained unsolved, leaving Ruffin's family in anguish. A breakthrough came when DNA evidence collected from the crime scene was matched to a suspect. Blood samples found on the safe and under the boyfriend's fingernails were identified as belonging to Octavionn Long, who was 19 at the time of his arrest. At the time of the DNA match, Long was already incarcerated at Branchville Correctional Facility on unrelated charges.
In November 2024, the Marion County Prosecutor's Office charged Octavionn Long with murder, burglary resulting in serious injury, and robbery resulting in serious injury in connection with Naya Ruffin's death. Court documents also revealed a prior criminal incident connecting Long to Ruffin's boyfriend from June 2021. Long denied knowing Ruffin or her boyfriend and claimed he had never been to the apartment complex where the murder occurred. He faces up to 65 years in prison if convicted. The investigation into the second suspect remains ongoing.
