Police: Louisiana man suspected of killing 5 captured in Virginia

Authorities say the 21-year-old man suspected of shooting and killing at least five people in Louisiana was captured Sunday in Virginia.

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Update 1:30 p.m. EST: Sheriff's deputies who arrested Dakota Theriot in Virginia said Theriot pointed a gun at them as they approached the house where he was hiding.

The Richmond County, Virginia, Sheriff's Office was notified Saturday that Theriot has family in the area and could have fled there, the sheriff's office said in a statement.

As deputies were checking places Theriot may have been, they received a tip about a house he may have gone to. Deputies responded to the house. Theriot arrived in a car shortly after the deputies, with a firearm pointed out the window, according to the statement.

The deputies sought cover and challenged Theriot. He reportedly followed commands, dropped the gun and surrendered, the statement said.

Theriot was taken to the Northern Neck Regional Jail and is being held without bond pending a court appearance.

Credit: The Richmond County Sheriff's Office

Credit: The Richmond County Sheriff's Office

Original story: Authorities say the 21-year-old man suspected of shooting and killing at least five people in Louisiana was captured Sunday in Virginia.

Dakota Theriot was located early Sunday in Richmond County, Virginia, according to a statement from the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office.

Theriot will be transported back to Ascension Parish at a later date and booked on two counts of first-degree murder, home invasion, and illegal use of weapons, the statement said.

Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre said in a news conference Saturday that Theriot is the “prime suspect” in the deaths of Keith Theriot, 50, and Elizabeth Theriot, 50, of Gonzales, his parents.

Dakota Theriot is also suspected of killing Billy Ernest, 43, Tanner Ernest, 17, and Summer Ernest, 20, in Livingston Parish, authorities said. Webre said they were not relatives of the suspect but appeared to know him.

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