Inset left: Dominic Connelly (Craven County Sheriff”s Office). Inset right: Patricia Lopedote (Craven County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Bojangles restaurant in Vanceboro, North Carolina (Google Maps).
In a chilling turn of events in North Carolina, a man is on the run after allegedly murdering his grandmother, setting her house on fire, and stabbing a deputy who attempted to arrest him. The suspect, 24-year-old Dominic Connelly, is currently wanted by authorities, who have charged him with murder and first-degree arson in connection with the death of his grandmother, 72-year-old Patricia Lopedote. He also faces charges of attempted first-degree murder, felony assault on a law enforcement officer, and vehicle theft.
The investigation began on Saturday when authorities discovered a residence engulfed in flames at 2010 North Carolina-101 Highway in Havelock. This city, nestled along the Neuse River, lies approximately 135 miles southeast of Raleigh. Inside the charred remains of the home, the body of Patricia Lopedote was found, although the precise cause of her death remains undetermined, according to a statement from the Craven County Sheriff’s Office.
Compounding the mystery, Lopedote’s vehicle was missing from the scene. It was later located, unoccupied, in a parking lot on Pine Tree Drive in New Bern, about 19 miles to the northwest.
As the investigation unfolded, Connelly emerged as a suspect by Wednesday. The case escalated when a tip led authorities to a Bojangles restaurant in Vanceboro, about 21 miles further north. Deputies found Connelly hiding in the restroom of the establishment. However, he resisted arrest, allegedly using a knife to attack a deputy before fleeing the scene, as reported by the sheriff’s office.
By Wednesday, Connelly was developed as a suspect. And then the case took another turn.
Someone reported to authorities that they believed Connelly was at a Bojangles restaurant in Vanceboro, roughly a 21-mile drive further north, still in the Tar Heel State. Deputies responded, finding Connelly in the bathroom of the establishment. But he apparently did not intend to be detained, as he “used a knife to assault a deputy” and then ran away, the sheriff’s office said.
Several law enforcement agencies are using drones, K-9s, and more in their search for Connelly, who was last seen wearing dark clothing running toward Bailey Lane apartments behind Bojangles.
Local authorities are asking the public to alert them if they see anything but not approach the suspect. Several local schools were closed for all students and staff on Thursday due to the “emergency situation.”
Craven County — of which Havelock, New Bern, and Vanceboro are all a part — is located in eastern North Carolina, largely within an hour of the coast.
