Dominic Connelly is an alleged killer from North Carolina who authorities are searching for after he allegedly murdered his Grandmother and then later attacked a Deputy with a knife who attempted to arrest him
According to police reports authorities were called to a home in Havelock North Carolina that was on fire. When the fire was put out the body of 72-year-old Patricia Lopedote was found. Lopedote vehicle was missing from the residence
Later police would receive a call that Dominic Connelly was at an establishment in Bojangles restaurant in Vanceboro. When a Deputy attempted to arrest him Connelly would attack the Officer with a knife. Thankfully the Officer is expected to survive their injuries.
However Dominic Connelly would disappear again and now a large manhunt is underway
Domenic Connelly News
A manhunt is underway for a North Carolina man accused of killing his grandmother after setting her house on fire and stabbing a sheriff’s deputy, according to investigators
Dominic Liam Connelly, 24, allegedly killed Patricia Lopedote, 72, after setting her house on fire in Craven County, North Carolina, over the weekend. It was later found that Lopedote was Connelly’s grandmother.
Connelly fled the scene in Lopedote’s car, which was later found abandoned in New Bern on Tuesday. He was then spotted at a Bojangles in Vaceboro on Wednesday.
When officers attempted to confront Connelly in the restroom of the establishment, he allegedly attacked a deputy with a knife before fleeing the scene.
Connelly is wanted for murder and first-degree arson, the sheriff’s office said. He is believed to be armed and dangerous.
What you can do
Anyone who may see Connelly is advised to not approach him and to contact 9-1-1 as soon as possible.
Anyone who may have information on Connelly’s whereabouts is asked to contact Craven County Sheriff’s Office at 252-636-6620 or submit an anonymous tip to the Craven County Crime Stoppers app pctips.com/986.
A reward will be offered to those whose tips lead to an arrest, police said.
‘Turn yourself in’
A video shared on the Craven County Crime Stoppers Facebook page directly addressed Connelly, pleading with him to turn himself in.
What they’re saying
“We will not stop. We are asking you to end this peacefully, now. For your own safety and for the safety of the public and our officers. Do not make this situation worse. Your safest option is to turn yourself in,” Cpl. Kelly Cox said.
North Carolina man wanted for allegedly killing grandmother, attacking deputy
Domenic Connelly More News
A man is accused of killing his grandmother in North Carolina, setting her home on fire, and then stabbing a deputy trying to detain him — and he’s still at large, authorities say.
Dominic Connelly, 24, is wanted for murder and first-degree arson in the death of his grandmother, 72-year-old Patricia Lopedote, as well as attempted first-degree murder, felony assault on law enforcement, and larceny of a motor vehicle.
Law enforcement got involved in the case on Saturday when a home at 2010 North Carolina-101 Highway in Havelock, a city along the Neuse River some 135 miles southeast of Raleigh, was found on fire, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office announced. As authorities responded, Lopedote’s body was found inside. It remains unclear how she died.
Her vehicle was not at the residence and was considered missing — until it was seen unoccupied in a parking lot on Pine Tree Drive in New Bern, about a 19-mile drive northwest.
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.
