A TikToker with millions of followers was arrested in Dallas after he allegedly crashed a vehicle belonging to a man who was found dead on the side of a Louisiana highway then ran from police, authorities said.
Terryon Thomas, 20, was booked Tuesday evening into the Dallas County jail, records show.
Thomas, known online as Mr. Prada, has more than 8 million followers across two TikTok accounts. He lives in Newellton, Louisiana, and primarily posts videos showing him react to made-up situations, often overlaid with trending sounds.
In addition to a hold from Baton Rouge police, charges listed in the jail log include unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, resisting an officer and aggravated criminal damage to property. Thomas remained in custody Wednesday without bail.
On Monday, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office announced it was investigating the death of a person who was found Sunday morning along Highway 51. The body was discovered by deputies after a passerby reported the “suspicious rolled-up tarp.”
The victim was identified as 69-year-old William Nicholas Abraham of Baton Rouge and an autopsy determined his manner of death was blunt force trauma, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators ruled the death a homicide.
Later Monday, the sheriff’s office shared photos of surveillance footage asking the public to help identify a “person of interest” in the investigation — later identified as Thomas — since he was believed to be the last person known to have driven Abraham’s vehicle.
The Advocate reported an arrest warrant was issued for Thomas on the charges listed in the Dallas County jail log after he was seen driving the stolen Lincoln MKZ before he allegedly backed it into the front of a police car, drove between two buildings and ran away.
The homicide investigation is now being led by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, a spokesperson said.
Abraham was a well-known therapist and former Catholic priest, according to WVUE TV. Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Gerald Sticker told the TV station Abraham had blunt force trauma to his head, neck and shoulders, saying it was a “very physical, very violent death.”
