UConn senior suspected of killing 2 and leading a six-day manhunt was arrested

(CNN) — The University of Connecticut student accused of killing two people, kidnapping another and leading police on a six-day manhunt was arrested in Maryland on Wednesday, authorities said.

Peter Manfredonia, 23, was taken into custody Wednesday evening in Hagerstown, Maryland, Connecticut State Police tweeted. He was located in the woods by a gas station and was arrested without incident, a law enforcement official told CNN.

As they arrested Manfredonia, police found a firearm they believe to be a murder weapon, Trooper Christine Jeltema said at a news briefing.

Police said a motive for the attacks is still unclear. The senior at the UConn joint School of Engineering/School of Business Management and Engineering for Management program has been struggling with mental health concerns and was receiving support from his family and therapists, said Michael Dolan, an attorney for Manfredonia’s family.

The spree of alleged crimes began in Willington, Connecticut, last Friday, when a 62-year-old man was killed and another injured “with an edged weapon,” Connecticut State Police said in a statement. Within hours, Manfredonia was identified as a suspect.

The deceased man, Theodore DeMers, died of sharp force and chop injuries of the head, torso and extremities, according to Dawn Garcia, processing technician with the Connecticut State Medical Examiner’s Office. The other man is in stable condition, state police said.

On Sunday morning, police learned that a Willington home had been invaded, and Manfredonia became a suspect. He is believed to have stolen multiple firearms and a vehicle, state police said.

Hours later, police received a 911 call requesting a well-being check for a home in Derby, Connecticut. Nicolas Eisele, a 23-year-old who graduated from the same high school as Manfredonia in 2015, was found dead there from a gunshot wound to the head, Garcia said.

Another person was abducted from the home where Eisele was found, police said, and a Volkswagen Jetta was stolen. That person was later found unharmed in Paterson, New Jersey, and identified Manfredonia, police said. The Volkswagen that Manfredonia was believed to have been driving was found in New Jersey near the Pennsylvania border.

From there, Manfredonia was spotted near a Walmart in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and at a convenience store in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, before taking an Uber to Hagerstown, where he was captured.

He was taken into custody by the US Marshals and the FBI, according to a law enforcement official.

DeMers’s family issued a statement Thursday reflecting on their loved one’s life.

“Ted lived an amazing life and touched many people along the way. His love for life was infectious, his strength displayed living through a 40 year battle with Crohn’s Disease,” the family said.

“As his family, we will forever cherish the memories we made with him in his 62 years of life. He was always so proud of his family and it’s our time now to be proud of him – we believe that his heroic actions and good citizenship may have saved the lives of others.”