Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno announced Friday the arrest of Whycliff Longin, a 28-year-old Haitian national, in connection with a homicide in Lehigh Acres.

Longin faces charges of second-degree murder and burglary with assault or battery. He was booked into the Lee County Jail late Wednesday night following the incident.

The sheriff's office described the attack as brutal. It occurred shortly before 3 a.m. Wednesday. One woman reported that Longin attempted to strangle her. She escaped the home and called police. Longin fled through a back door into a neighboring apartment complex.

Deputies conducted a safety sweep and found a second woman dead inside a bedroom from blunt force trauma. The case involves domestic violence, according to Marceno.

Longin entered the United States in 2024 seeking asylum. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has placed a detainer on him, and federal authorities are reviewing his immigration status.

Marceno noted that Longin has no known criminal history. Additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues.

The arrest highlights ongoing challenges with asylum claims and enforcement at the local level in Florida communities.