‘Armed and dangerous’ man captured in Wake County accused of attempted murder, trafficking
A man considered “armed and dangerous” who was captured after an hours-long manhunt late Monday night was wanted on charges of attempted murder and human trafficking, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office said.
The Sheriff’s Office announced the capture of 34-year-old Dustin Letchworth at 11:30 p.m. on social media, sending out an all-clear alert after telling residents of the Zebulon area earlier in the day to stay inside and report anything suspicious.
Deputies had tried to serve “numerous felony warrants” on Letchworth about 2:30 p.m. Monday at a home near Knollwood Pond Lane, the Sheriff’s Office said.
But Letchworth ran out the back of the home before deputies arrived, Sgt. David Bradford of the Sheriff’s Office said during a brief news conference Monday evening. Officials declined to share details on Letchworth’s warrants but believed he was armed based on “intelligence” they had received upon arriving at the home.
At 6:15 p.m., at least 20 officers from the Sheriff’s Office, the State Highway Patrol and the Zebulon Police Department were searching for Letchworth on the ground and in the air using drones and helicopters, Bradford said. Johnston County officials also were notified.
“Please, absolutely do not approach him,” Bradford said.
The Sheriff’s Office searched around Pearces Road, Baker Road and Dukes Lake Road, north of the Zebulon town limits.
At 11:10 p.m., deputies took Letchworth into custody on West Judd Street in Zebulon.
He is charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, human trafficking, promoting prostitution for profit, and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The charges are connected to an assault in Wake County on Dec. 31, 2024.
Letchworth pleaded guilty in 2022 to fleeing/eluding arrest with a motor vehicle in a July 2022 incident, court records show. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail.
A LinkedIn profile appearing to belong to Letchworth indicated he served in the Army as a cavalry scout for four years, including a deployment to Iraq, earning the rank of sergeant. He left the Army in December 2014, the profile states.
This story was originally published January 13, 2025 at 4:40 PM.
