D.C. police investigators believe the suspect in a quadruple homicide had at least one accomplice who helped subdue a family and their housekeeper for nearly a day in the family’s multimillion-dollar home in Northwest Washington.
In D.C. Superior Court on Friday, the suspect — Daron Wint — was ordered to be held without bail for first-degree murder. Authorities believe the May 14 slayings of businessman Savvas Savopoulos; his wife, Amy; their 10-year-old son, Philip; and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa “required the presence and assistance of more than one person,” a court document reads.
In addition, investigators said a man “with short, well-groomed hair” was seen driving Mrs. Savopoulos’ blue Porsche away from scene of the murders and another man wearing a hoodie was videotaped in the church parking lot where the sports car was set on fire later that day.
Mr. Wint was captured Thursday night in Northeast Washington, ending a manhunt that had stretched as far as New York City.
Members of the Capital Area Fugitive Task Force had tracked Mr. Wint to a hotel in College Park, Maryland, and followed him and four others as they drove into the District late Thursday in a Chevrolet Cruze and a rented box truck.
With a helicopter watching from overhead, the team used their cars to block the Chevy in which Mr. Wint was traveling, and members swooped in with guns drawn to order him and the others out of the two vehicles.
SEE ALSO: Daron Dylon Wint captured in Northeast D.C.
None of two men and two women who were apprehended with Mr. Wint were charged with any crimes and had been released by Sunday. Police neither named any of the four nor identified whether they had any other accomplice suspects.
Cmdr. Rob Fernandez, who heads the task force, said the Thursday late-night arrests were made without any injuries.
“I think they were completely surprised,” Cmdr. Fernandez said. “They submitted immediately.”
According to police, Mr. Wint’s DNA was found on the remnants of a Domino’s pizza delivered to the Savopouloses’ home on the night of May 13. Police believe Mr. Wint held the family captive overnight.
Mr. Savopoulos’ personal assistant reportedly dropped off a package containing $40,000 at the home the following morning. The Savopouloses’ $4.5 million home, in the same neighborhood as the vice president’s residence, went up in flames hours later. The victims, who had suffered blunt force trauma and stab wounds, were found by firefighters.
Police also reportedly recovered a large amount of cash from the rented box truck being used by Mr. Wint and his associates.
SEE ALSO: Daron Dylon Wint named suspect in quadruple D.C. homicide
Mr. Wint is being represented by Public Defender Natalie Lawson, The Associated Press reported. His defense argued that authorities lack probable cause, since a suspect seen driving the Porsche had short hair. Wanted posters issued while Mr. Wint was a fugitive showed him with long hair.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur on Friday agreed with Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Miller to deny bail for Mr. Wint, noting that he was arrested with some of the missing money, and that the DNA from the pizza ties him to the slayings, the AP reported.
In a statement released Friday by a public relations firm, the Savopoulos family thanked law enforcement and firefighters.
“While it does not abate our pain, we hope that it begins to restore a sense of calm and security to our neighborhood and to our city,” the family said.
Officials had been searching for Mr. Wint in Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday. Authorities tracked him to an apartment there, but Cmdr. Fernandez said when officers hit the location, they had “just missed him.” It was believed that Mr. Wint had taken a bus to the New York area and had stayed at the apartment for several days. Cmdr. Fernandez said Mr. Wint was believed to have been driven back to the D.C. area early Thursday.
Mr. Wint, who previously has been convicted of second-degree assault and has been the subject of four protective orders in Maryland, had worked for Hyattsville-based American Iron Works, a company owned by Mr. Savopoulos.
⦁ This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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