The first suspect identified in a D.C. quadruple murder and house fire is a “hostile” Maryland man with a long criminal history, according to relatives and records.
Daron Dylon Wint, 34, is wanted on a warrant for first-degree murder while armed in connection to the May 14 deaths of Savvas Savopoulos, his wife Amy, their 10-year-old son Philip and their housekeeper, Veralicia Figueroa, D.C. Police announced Wednesday night.
Authorities believe he is in the Brooklyn area.
Wint was linked to the crime after authorities said his DNA was found on the crust of a Domino’s pizza that was delivered while the victims were held captive inside, according to local reports.
Police did not say if Wint is the only suspect identified, nor did they release possible motives or connections to the family.
An investigator who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Wint may have worked for one of Savopoulos’ businesses, the Associated Press reported.
While the victims were bound, the Savopoulos’ personal assistant reportedly delivered a package of $40,000 in cash to the home. Police said the money was gone by the time they arrived.
D.C. Police Public Affairs Specialist Aquita Brown told the Daily News on Thursday morning that she could not release more information because the department is not granting individual interviews.
Wint has been in trouble with the law before, with arrests ranging from assault, domestic violence, theft and alcohol violations, according to court records.
“He doesn’t listen,” his stepmother, who was not identified, told ABC News. “You try to tell him and guide him the right way, but he thinks he knows the law … more than anybody else. He was very argumentative. Everywhere he goes there’s an argument … very arrogant.”
Wint often visits his father’s home in Lanham, MD, a neighbor told MyFoxDC. He’s “quiet” and hangs out on the front porch a lot, he said.
Robin Ficker, a defense attorney who represented Wint for minor criminal and traffic cases, said he doesn’t think Wint is violent.
“My impression of him – I remember him rather well – is that he wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Wint told the AP. “He’s a very nice person.”
Wint goes by Dillion and currently lives in New York City, according to his Facebook, which lists him as self-employed.
Police said they do not know his current whereabouts and have offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. They did not say whether Wint is the blurry “person of interest” seen in surveillance video released earlier this week.
The Savopoulos’ blue Porsche was found burning two miles away from Wint’s listed address.
Family members said they grew concerned about the victims, who had not been seen in days but sent a flurry of text messages and phone calls in their last hours.
Gutierrez said the Savopoulos’ left messages ensuring she did not come to the house the next day.
Figueroa’s husband, Bernardo Alfaro, said he got nervous when “Vera” stopped answering her phone. He went to the house the next morning.
“I’m knocking, knocking, ringing the bell and my feeling it was that somebody was inside,” he told WJLA.
Savvas Savopoulos called him and told him Figueroa had gone to the hospital with Amy, who was sick. He said he’d call Alfaro back later. Alfaro went back home to wait for his call.
The personal assistant continued with a scheduled money drop-off for a martial arts center opening in Chantilly, Va., another housekeeper, Nelitza Gutierrez, said. Savvas was a martial arts enthusiast, according to reports. It’s not clear if the assistant had contact with those inside the house.
Hours later, firefighters arrived to the home, which had been set ablaze. Three of the victims had wounds and at least one showed signs of blunt force head trauma. Philips’ body was so badly burned that he has not been officially identified, authorities said.
The funeral for three Savopoulos family members is scheduled for June 1 at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral. They were survived by two daughters, who Gutierrez said were too distraught to speak. Figueroa’s funeral will be held in El Salvador, her home country, with the help of a fundraising campaign.
“This is a nightmare for me. I can’t believe they’re gone,” Gutierrez said. “I loved this family very deeply and the little boy and my friend Vera.”
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With Rocco Parascandola
