The suspect at the center of an hours long, multi-agency manhunt in Zebulon Monday is in custody, according to the Wake County Sheriff’s Office. He was wanted on warrants for kidnapping, human trafficking, attempted murder and other charges.
Dustin Letchworth, 34, was taken into custody Monday night after being located on West Judd Street in Zebulon, authorities said.
Deputies also arrested 57-year-old Daryl Holden on similar charges Monday.
The charges stem from an incident near Wendell on Dec. 30 that is still under investigation.
"On December 31, 2024, at approximately 6 a.m., deputies received a report of an alleged assault," the sheriff's office said.
"The victim, an adult female, was at the hospital with serious injuries. The victim reported being assaulted by two men at a home and held against her will. The victim was able to leave the residence and was transported to the hospital by someone she knew," according to the sheriff's office.
According to warrants, Letchworth allegedly kidnapped the woman in Wake County and held her against her will. The warrants also accuse Letchworth of assaulting her with “a blunt object and machete.”
For hours leading up to his arrest, deputies warned residents in some parts of the city to stay inside as multiple agencies searched for Letchworth, who they described as “armed and dangerous.”
Monday afternoon, the sheriff’s office said Letchworth ran from deputies as they tried to serve him with “numerous felony warrants.”
He turned himself in to deputies at 11:10 p.m., according to the sheriff's office.
Following his arrest, investigators announced charges on Letchworth that include 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.
The actions taken by Letchworth, the warrants said, resulted in the victim suffering “serious bodily injury.”
In a post to Facebook, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office thanked Zebulon Police Department, North Carolina Highway Patrol, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, and Wake County Emergency Management for their help in conducting the search.