Police Raided TikTok Meme Island Boys’ Home & Found a Suspect in Murder of 8-Year-Old Girl

By Karissa Lund  •  10 Feb 2022 in News

Thirsty for JUICE content? Quench your cravings on our Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp

A suspect in the deadly shooting of an 8-year-old Florida girl has been busted at the home of eccentric social media personalities the Island Boys.

According to Complex, Andrew James Thomas, 20, was arrested for first-degree murder late Monday at the Coral Springs home of the distinctive tattooed duo who have a combined 8.5 million followers on TikTok, officials said.

He was charged with three felonies, including the first-degree murder of little Ronziyah Atkins, 8, in a drive-by shooting in Belle Glade on Friday (4 Feb).

One of Island Boys brothers, Alex Vanegas was home when the SWAT team stormed their house – and Thomas ran toward him with a handgun and extended magazine. The online rapper told cops that Andrew had asked him to hide the weapon when they realised authorities were at their door but he had refused.

Apparently, Vanegas cried when he realised his childhood friend was being arrested for first-degree murder.

Their manager, Dovi Bezner said that Thomas had just been crashing on the rap duo’s couch at the time.

“This is a big shock. I would never imagine in a million years that this person was going out there and doing these violent crimes on the street.

“We knew him as a quiet, quiet kid that would come around and do his thing. But apparently, he has a little monster inside him. If we knew something like this was going on, we would never have allowed him on the property,” Bezner said.

For now, the Island Boys have not been implicated in the investigation.

If you’re not on TikTok and have no idea who they are – Alex and his brother, Franky Venegas became unexpected online sensations last year when a video of them in a pool singing a song became a huge meme. While many initially poked fun at the colourful duo, millions now regularly view the pair’s online posts.