State troopers apprehended a man along an Ohio highway after he allegedly shot a woman to death inside her home, then fled.
Travis Lovett, of Seminole, Florida, was arrested on an aggravated murder charge on Tuesday, October 20, in connection with the death of Alice Tully in Atwater Township earlier that morning, according to authorities, ABC affiliate WEWS-TV reported.
Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski confirmed to the TV station that deputies first responded to Tully’s home Tuesday morning after she reported a man, who she believed was from Florida, arrived at her residence. She accused the man of stalking her for years.
The alleged stalker was reportedly no longer at the home when deputies arrived.
About an hour later, the sheriff’s office was called to shots fired at the residence, the agency said in a news release.
Tully was found shot and ultimately died of her injuries, per the Ravenna Record-Courier, which reported authorities confirmed she was 18 years old.
Investigators discovered Lovett, 21, was the person who allegedly shot Tully before driving off from her residence, according to the newspaper.
“I’m not sure if Alice knew the suspect, but there was some kind of connection. It wasn’t a random crime,” Eric Noall, a detective with the sheriff’s office, told the newspaper.
As law enforcement searched for Lovett, local schools were put on lockdown during the manhunt on Tuesday, according to the sheriff’s office.
The lockdowns were lifted after he was taken into custody that evening by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Troopers stopped Lovett’s vehicle driving southbound along Interstate 77 in Guernsey County and took him into custody, according to a Facebook post shared by state highway patrol, which released footage of his arrest.
Body camera footage shows troopers apprehending Lovett with weapons drawn.
“On your stomach now,” one trooper said, ordering him to get down on the ground, according to the footage.
He was apprehended “without incident,” Ohio State Highway Patrol said.
Lovett remained silent when questioned by authorities, Zuchowski told WEWS-TV.
He was detained at the Portage County Jail that evening, the Ravenna Record-Courier reported. Lovett was expected to appear in court for an arraignment on Wednesday, October 21.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether he retained legal counsel.
“The collaboration between the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Portage County Sheriff’s Office led to the quick identification and apprehension of this dangerous individual,” the sheriff’s office said in its news release. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victim.”
