Police Sources To CBS2: DC Murder Suspect Daron Wint In Custody
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) - The man wanted for the murder of a Washington, D.C., family and their housekeeper has been taken into custody, a police source said.
On Thursday night, Washington Metropolitan police Chief Cathy Lanier told CBS2's Kris Van Cleave that Daron Dylon Wint had been apprehended.
Wint did not turn himself in, CBS News has learned. He was located and taken into custody by officers, CBS News has learned.
Wint has ties to Brooklyn, but despite earlier speculation, police sources told CBS2 there was no credible evidence he had been in New York City in the past two days.
But earlier Thursday, Washington Metropolitan police Chief Cathy Lanier said Thursday that Wint might have been in Brooklyn. The confusion may have been started when a woman believed to be the suspect's girlfriend told New York police he was in the area Wednesday night, CBS2's Dick Brennan reported.
Washington Metropolitan Police had issued an arrest warrant for Wint on first-degree murder charges in connection with the May 13 quadruple murder and arson case.
Sources told CBS2 that Wint's girlfriend was detained at a restaurant in Canarsie, Brooklyn earlier Thursday. She was later questioned at a Brooklyn police precinct station.
She also told police Wint was headed back to Washington to surrender, but authorities had been skeptical of her story, sources told CBS2.
"We continue to seek the public's assistance in locating Wint," Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said. "If you see something, we're begging of you, to say something, to call law enforcement. Any bit of information can lead to a breakthrough and can lead to us solving this heinous crime in the District of Columbia."
Wint's Facebook page said that he lives in New York City and authorities had focused on Brooklyn in the event that he fled there.
Although Wint was not believed to be in New York, the NYPD had been keeping a careful watch for him.
"We have a very active investigation underway here in New York at this time, assisting our colleagues in the Marshals Service and the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police," NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said.
"He has some relatives here and some friends here," NYPD Chief of Detectives Bill Boyce said.
As CBS2's Jessica Schneider reported, police said they were not sure when Wint was last in Brooklyn.
There had been a $25,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
"Even his family has made pleas for him to turn himself in," Lanier said.
DNA found on the crust of a Domino's pizza ordered to the family's home last week was connected to Wint, CBS News confirmed.
The pizza order arrived as Savvas Savopoulos, chief executive officer of American Iron Works; his wife, Amy; their 10-year-old son, Philip; and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa were being held captive inside and possibly tortured, police said.
All were slain before the fire was set, police said, and three had been stabbed or bludgeoned. The motive remains unclear.
Wint apparently worked at Savopoulos' company.
"We do believe that there is a connection between the suspect in this case through the business," Lanier said. "Right now, it does not appear that this was a random crime."
Authorities say Savopolous' assistant visited the home during the ordeal, delivering a package containing $40,000. Police are looking into the possibility that the money was an extortion payment.
Authorities said it's possible Wint had accomplices.
The house, which is located just minutes from the residence of Vice President Joe Biden, was set on fire just a few hours later.
Text messages and voicemails from the Savopouloses to their confused and frightened household staff suggest something was amiss in the house many hours before the bodies were found. Their blue Porsche turned up in suburban Maryland. It, too, had been set on fire.
The Savopouloses lived in the Woodley Park section of D.C., where multimillion-dollar homes are protected by fences and elaborate security systems and local and federal law enforcement officers are a constant presence.
Wint has a prior conviction for assault and pleaded guilty in 2010 to malicious destruction of property.
Savapoulos is survived by two teenage daughters who were away at boarding school at the time of the murders.
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