The boy whose birth was celebrated as a Vatican-approved miracle is now at the center of a stunning criminal investigation.
Tyquan Johnson, the Rhode Island teenager whose extraordinary survival as a newborn paved the way for the beatification of Spanish priest Salvador Valera Parra, is now a wanted man after police linked him to a shocking double shooting.
Newport Police have issued an arrest warrant for the 19-year-old, accusing him of felony assault with a firearm and firing a weapon in a compact area following a July 19 shooting that left two men, aged 22 and 25, with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.
Authorities say the violence erupted near Truman Street and Rosedale Avenue just before 10 p.m. Detectives spent days investigating before naming Johnson as the suspect. Police are now urging anyone with information about his whereabouts to come forward as the search continues.
The allegations mark a heartbreaking twist in a story that once inspired Catholics around the world.
Johnson's birth in January 2007 was considered medically impossible after he was declared clinically dead for more than an hour. According to church officials, doctors had exhausted every option before one physician prayed for the intercession of 18th-century Spanish priest Salvador Valera Parra. Moments later, Johnson unexpectedly regained a heartbeat.
The remarkable recovery was later accepted by the Vatican as the miracle required for Parra's beatification, making Johnson's survival a globally celebrated testimony of faith.
Even more astonishing, doctors had warned that if Johnson survived, he would likely suffer severe brain damage or lifelong disabilities because of the prolonged lack of oxygen. Instead, he grew up healthy, playing baseball, football and basketball like any other child.
Just last year, Johnson reflected on his extraordinary story during an interview, saying he believed God had given him "a second chance" for a reason.
"I feel normal. I can do everything," he said. "If God didn't want me in this world, He would have just let me die on that table."
He also revealed ambitions to join the military and pursue a career in computer science while encouraging others to "work hard" and "strive for greatness."
Now, those hopeful dreams have been overshadowed by serious criminal allegations that have stunned many who followed his remarkable story.
Police stress that the charges remain allegations, and Johnson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The dramatic turn of events has left many asking how a life once celebrated as a symbol of divine intervention could end up at the centre of a manhunt.
