NEW YORK – U.S. Marshals and the NYPD are following leads that the man wanted for the murder of a Washington, D.C. family and their housekeeper could be in the New York City area.
Metropolitan Police in Washington issued an arrest warrant for Daron Dylon Wint on first-degree murder charges in connection with the May 13 quadruple murder and arson case.
Police had reportedly matched Wint, 34, to DNA found on the crust of a Domino’s Pizza ordered to the family’s home last week.
The pizza order arrived as Savvas Savopoulos, his wife Amy, and 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.
“Any time there’s a child involved, it’s one of those things that really shakes all of us,” said Metropolitan Police chief Cathy Lanier.
Authorities say Savopolous’s 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.
The house, which is located just minuted from the residence of Vice President Joe Biden, was set on fire just a few hours later.
“There were injuries discovered that appear to be blunt force or sharp object injuries,” Lanier said.
There’s no word on how Wint was connected to the family, or if he knew them.
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 Woodley Park, 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.
Police in Washington offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call police at (202) 727-9099. You can also text a tip anonymously to 50411.