An interstate manhunt ended early Wednesday when police arrested a quadruple murder suspect near New Florence, Missouri.
Pablo Antonio Serrano-Vitorino, 36, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder after a shooting early Tuesday in Kansas City, Kansas. Three men died at the scene and a fourth one at a hospital.
The victims’ identities are being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin. It’s unclear what prompted the shootings.
Serrano-Vitorino lived next door to the home where the killings took place, CNN affiliate KCTV reported.
Police had sought Serrano-Vitorino for hours, releasing his photo to the public, and deploying helicopters and about 100 officers in the search. He had been described as “armed and dangerous” and possibly carrying an AK-47.
Around 1 a.m. Wednesday, Missouri State Highway Patrol received a call from a man who said the suspect pulled a gun on him.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found Serrano-Vitorino lying face down in a ditch, said Sgt. Scott White with the highway patrol. He surrendered without incident.
“He was exhausted,” Sgt. James Hedrick from the same highway patrol told the Kansas City Star.
A rifle was taken from him, White said.
Serrano-Vitorino was also wanted for questioning in the death of a fifth man, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Police responding to a call about a shooting Tuesday found the body of Randy J. Nordman, 49, at his rural Montgomery County home. The home is near where officers found Serrano-Vitorino’s truck, said Lt. Paul Reinsch of the highway patrol.
There’s no indication vehicles or anything else was stolen from the home or nearby properties, he said.
Serrano-Vitorino had previous run-ins with other agencies.
He was deported to Mexico in 2004. It’s unclear when he returned to the United States, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
By September 15, ICE was aware he had returned to the country illegally after he was fingerprinted at the Overland Park Municipal Court in Kansas.
But ICE erroneously issued a detainer for him to the wrong sheriff’s office instead of Overland Park. As a result of the error, he was not taken into custody six months ago.
