LUFKIN, Texas — Lufkin Police arrested 27-year-old Avante Nicholson on Friday after being called to assist Texas Rangers in a murder investigation in Shelby County.
Around 2 p.m., Texas Rangers requested help at a house in the 1300 block of Scott Street, where they believed a murder suspect might be hiding. While searching the home, officers instead located Nicholson in the bathroom. Though not the suspect in the Shelby County case, Nicholson was wanted for multiple warrants and had been sought since April 20.
Nicholson is connected to a bizarre incident earlier this year in which plastic Easter eggs filled with marijuana were placed in three Lufkin city parks and behind a local motel. Police tied the eggs to social media posts from Nicholson, who had shared photos hinting at their locations. Four of the eggs were recovered by officers, while a fifth was turned in by a resident the following day.
Nicholson now faces three third-degree felony charges for delivery of marijuana in a drug-free zone and one state jail felony for delivery of marijuana. He was booked into the Angelina County Jail, and bond has not yet been set.
Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers have arrested three men — Colby Eli Lister, 19; Deterion Alexander, 17; and Rico Rose, 19 — in connection with the September 13 killing of JaMichael Phillips, 26. Rangers are still searching for a fourth suspect.
