D.C. police have identified a suspect in the gruesome quadruple slaying of Savvas Savopoulos, his wife, 10-year-old son and housekeeper, whose bodies were found inside the family’s Northwest home after a fire was intentionally set there.
Late Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police Department said detectives had obtained an arrest warrant for 34-year-old Daron Dylon Wint and were seeking to charge him with first-degree murder in the case.
Police officials have not said publicly what they believe Mr. Wint’s connection was to the family or his possible motive in the killings, but news reports indicate that the family may have been held captive at the home and that a large amount of cash was delivered to the residence shortly before the fire was set.
When the family and housekeeper were held captive, the suspects ordered a pizza. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that police found Mr. Wint’s DNA on a piece of pizza crust at the Savopoulos home.
First responders found the bodies of Savopoulos, his wife Amy, son Philip, and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa inside the home the afternoon of May 14 when firefighters responded to extinguish a blaze in the multi-million residence. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said three of the four victims had suffered either blunt force trauma or wounds from sharp objects.
The family’s blue Porsche was missing from the home and hours later police found the car in flames in the parking lot of a Prince George’s County church.
Maryland court records indicate Mr. Wint has a lengthy criminal history in Prince George’s County, and has faced numerous protective orders and been convicted of second-degree assault.
WRC-TV (Channel 4) reported Wednesday that someone had delivered $40,000 in cash to the Savopoulos home shortly before the fire was set.
Meanwhile Figueroa’s husband told WJLA (Channel 7) that after his wife did not return home from work on the house the night of May 13 that he went to the house to check on her the following morning. Bernardo Alfaro knocked on the door and got the eery feeling that someone was home but not answering. Then he got a call on his cell phone from Savopoulos telling him that Figueroa had accompanied his own wife to the hospital. After leaving the home, Mr. Alfaro told the news station that he never heard from either his wife or Savopoulos again.
An MPD spokesman would not say Wednesday whether police were also looking for other suspects in the quadruple homicide, or if they believe Mr. Wint remains in the D.C region.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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