Twin brothers wanted for Florida killing arrested in Virginia

Octavius Toppin (Courtesy Virginia State Police.) Twin brothers wanted for allegedly gunning a man down as he stood in his Palm Bay, Fla. driveway were captured in Stafford County early Thursday, Virginia State Police said.

Obadiah and Octavius Toppin, 34, were arrested just before 4 a.m. after a Virginia State Police officer pulled over the pair’s white SUV on I-95 south of Quantico, police said.

Palm Bay police had put out a bulletin that the brothers were wanted in the killing and Virginia State Police positioned themselves on I-95 to intercept them, police said. The twins were arrested without incident.

Palm Bay police responded to a report of a shooting around 4 p.m. Wednesday and found Raymond Torres suffering from a gunshot wound in his driveway, Palm Bay police said. Torres was flown to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Obadiah Toppin. (Courtesy of Virginia State Police.) Police believe the Toppin brothers were headed to New York, where they have relatives. Witnesses at the scene of the shooting were able to provide descriptions of the Toppin’s vehicle, police said.

Law enforcement agencies were notified up and down the East Coast to be on lookout for the brothers, police said.

The pair are being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford County, pending extradition to Florida, police said.

Palm Bay police declined to discuss the motive for Torres’ killing.