Crime & Safety

Hunt for Fugitive Leads to Four Arrests

All four suspects were arrested by St. Petersburg Police and charged with child abuse.

In a hunt for a fugitive wanted on charges of auto theft, the St. Petersburg Police Office and the United States Marshal Service arrested and charged three women for child abuse after they allegedly left their children alone with the fugitive. 

According to police, authorities responded to a home on the 1300 block of 79th Avenue North when the learned that 26-year-old Matthew Wehunt could be hiding inside the residence.

Three women, April Dominquez, Ashley Dixon and Samantha Dixon were seen leaving the residence in a car by authorities Tuesday morning.

According to police, they stopped the women to interview them on the whereabouts of Wehunt. Police said all three women denied Wehunt or their children were inside the home.

Authorities told the women the residence was surrounded and were warned that it would be tactically entered with police K-9 and the Marshal Service.

"They were warned numerous times of the dangers of entering a residence to apprehend a potentially violent felon, however all three insisted their kids were not inside the house," the police report said. 

The women, however, continued to deny Wehunt's of their children's presence inside the home, police said. 

According to authorities, after more than an hour securing the residence secured, blinds in the residence were seen moving.

As police approached, they saw Wehunt shove a 3-month-old male into the Venetian blinds of the window beside the front door police were starting to breach.

Wehunt, police said, placed the child between the entry team and himself.

Entry was made into the residence and Wehunt was placed into custody.

Three other children, all under the age of 4, were hidden inside a small, locked bathroom of the residence, police.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Child Protection investigators responded to the scene and placed the children into the custody of family members, according to authorities.

Wehunt had outstanding warrant for two counts of auto theft and other crimes, police said. 

Samantha Dixon, 24, Ashley Dixon, 26 and April Dominguez, 23, were all charged with child abuse based on their statements made at the scene and later with police detectives, police.

Wehunt was charged with his felonious warrants and child abuse.


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