Police in North Carolina confirmed 29-year-old Rhaim Moises Santiago, who was wanted in a double homicide in Fayetteville, has died.
The Fayetteville Police Department said Santiago killed himself in Johnston County on Tuesday morning after a manhunt that lasted over 24 hours.
Santiago went missing Monday after being charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree kidnapping and one count of attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon in connection to the deaths of 33-year-old Marchellous Braddy and 27-year-old Nakea Brooks in Fayetteville.
At this time, police have not said what motive there was behind the shootings. Fayetteville police said Santiago knew Braddy and Brooks prior to their deaths.
A homeowner on Aftonshire Drive called police after finding one man dead on the floor of his home. Fayetteville police found a second person who had been shot to death outside.
Authorities said Santiago fled to a neighborhood near the Johnston Court Apartments on Tuesday where he had family members.
After seen speeding through the neighborhood, he crashed his car and ran away.
While searching a wooded area off U.S. Highway 301 South in on Tuesday not too far from the neighborhood, law enforcement officers found Santiago. Authorities said he fired shots at officers after crashing his car and hiding in the grass.
Drones were used to locate the man, and tear gas was deployed before he shot himself, authorities said.
The field where Santiago died was only five miles from Selma Memorial Gardens, where officials said Santiago crashed his car Monday night.
Authorities said he crashed two cars while on the run. Another was found on Blount Street in Smithfield.
Neighbors in the area said they woke up on Tuesday morning to the sound of gunfire and drones. They were told by law enforcement officers to stay locked in their homes while police looked for Santiago.
According to a background check, Santiago had been previously convicted in 2020 for felony fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle in Johnston County.
Fayetteville police said they did not believe anyone else was involved in the crime. Investigators were combing over evidence Tuesday afternoon, including stolen vehicles and the gun Santiago allegedly used.
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