Suspect arrested in 4 Fla. murders; boy found safe
TAMPA, Fla. — Authorities say a suspect in a quadruple murder was taken into custody Friday and a missing 4-year-old autistic boy was found safe with him.
SWAT teams from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office and Tampa Police Department swarmed the Floridian Hotel in downtown Tampa early Friday after tracking 28-year-old Adam Matos to the area.
The child, Ismael Tristan Santisteban, was with Matos at the hotel. Police believe the boy might be Matos' biological son, but are attempting to confirm that. For now, they are referring to Matos as the boy's fatherly figure.
On Thursday, police searched for Matos and the boy after four bodies were found and the child was discovered missing. An Amber Alert issued for Tristan was cancelled Friday.
Police say the boy was last seen at his home Aug. 28. During a welfare check at the home Thursday, there were signs of foul play.
A search of the area revealed the decomposing bodies of two adult males and two adult females, piled on top of each other, about three quarters of mile from the home. The victims have not been identified.
In August, deputies were called to the home for a domestic disturbance. Tristan's mother said Matos had threatened to kill her with a knife then he left. Deputies did not locate Matos that day.
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said he was relieved the boy was found unharmed.
"I thank God Tristan was found safe and we were able to get this murder suspect in handcuffs quickly," he said. "We had tips from all over the country from Matos' friends and family trying to help us find him and one person had told us he was in the area because he was seen alone earlier in the day."
Matos worked at the Get Hooked Bar and Grill in Hudson as a dishwasher, after moving to the area from Pennsylvania a couple months ago.
"He wasn't here very long, we hired him walking off the street, said he was looking for a job. Didn't last very long, had to fire him," says John Logan, manager of the restaurant.
Logan said he had a problem showing up for work.
A check of Matos' background revealed a lengthy criminal background, including charges of harassment, theft, DUI, assault, burglary — and he might have been on probation in Pennsylvania.
Nocco said he could not confirm if Matos was armed when he was arrested.
"He was surprised when SWAT came into his room," Nocco said. "And that was our goal, to lay low until we had everything confirmed he was in that room and the little boy was in there with him. It was a delicate and sensitive situation because we did not want to put that little's boy's life any more at risk."
Contributing: The Associated Press