Flock license plate readers help crack homicide case
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — A Sebastian man accused of fatally shooting a Vero Beach hairdresser was arrested Wednesday night by U.S. Marshals at a West Virginia motel, ending a multi-state manhunt that began after the domestic violence homicide Sunday morning in Indian River County.
WATCH BELOW: Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers gives update on Vero Beach homicide arrest
Indian River County Sheriff’s Office update on Vero Beach homicide arrest
Matthew Allen Waggle, 33, faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Dawn Kriskewic, 52, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives are working to extradite Waggle from West Virginia to face charges locally.
Fatal Shooting Reported Sunday Morning
Deputies responded to a 911 call at approximately 8:41 a.m. Sunday reporting a woman in the roadway in the 500 block of 1st Street in Vero Beach. First responders found Kriskewic suffering from an apparent gunshot wound and immediately began life-saving measures, according to the sheriff’s office.
Kriskewic was transported to a trauma center where she was later pronounced dead. Investigators classified her death as a domestic violence homicide.
Sheriff Eric Flowers said during a Thursday news conference that Waggle and Kriskewic were in an on-and-off relationship, and that the victim had recently ended things with the suspect.
“She had actually told her co-workers, ‘If he calls, if he shows up, I want nothing to do with him. Tell him, I’m not here,'” Flowers said. “She had broken things off with him, he had moved away and somehow she knew that he could potentially be coming to the area.”
Indian River County Sheriff’s Office
Suspect Traveled by Bus and Uber to Victim’s Home
According to investigators, Waggle traveled by Greyhound bus from West Virginia to the Orlando area, then took an Uber ride directly to Kriskewic’s Vero Beach home Sunday morning.
“You see that video of him walking, he was dropped off around the corner, he made his way in, we’ve got him on video, on Ring doorbells, on a variety of different security cameras,” Flowers said.
The sheriff said Waggle was at the location for approximately 10 to 15 minutes before fleeing the area after the shooting. Security footage captured Waggle walking to the residence, having a brief interaction with Kriskewic, shooting her and then leaving the scene.
Indian River County Sheriff’s Office
Multi-State Investigation Leads to West Virginia Arrest
After the shooting, Waggle took another Uber back to Orlando, boarded a Greyhound bus to North Carolina, and ultimately traveled to a motel near Dunbar, West Virginia, according to investigators.
The sheriff’s office real-time crime center played a crucial role in tracking Waggle’s movements across state lines. Detectives determined that Waggle’s ex-wife was making calls to a specific West Virginia motel, which helped lead authorities to his location.
U.S. Marshals arrested Waggle at the motel Wednesday night. His ex-wife was also taken into custody at the scene and is cooperating with investigators.
“At this moment, we don’t have charges on her, but we are actively speaking with her,” Flowers said.
Evidence Recovery and Technology Assistance
Investigators said Waggle left the firearm used in the shooting and other evidence near the scene in Vero Beach. The gun was later determined to belong to Waggle’s ex-wife, according to the sheriff’s office.
Flowers credited the department’s license plate reader technology, including the Flock system, as critical to the rapid arrest.
“I’m not standing here four days later telling you about this guy being in custody in West Virginia,” Flowers said. “So, for everybody who wants to talk about how bad this system is, we got a murderer behind bars because of this.”
The investigation moved from discovering Kriskewic’s body Sunday morning to making an arrest in West Virginia by Wednesday night — a timeline Flowers called “unbelievable police work.”
Two Indian River County detectives were in West Virginia interviewing Waggle and his ex-wife at the time of Thursday’s announcement. Waggle will be extradited back to Indian River County to face the first-degree murder charge.
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