U.S. Marshals apprehend Richland County fatal shooting suspect in Arizona
A nearly 10-day search for a man linked by authorities to two Mansfield area shootings -- one of them deadly -- came to an end in Arizona this week where U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force made an arrest.
Michael A. Childress, 29, of Toledo was sought by authorities in the shooting death of Kenneth D. Norris, 31, Mansfield police said. Norris died three days after the May 1 shooting at the Moto Mart, 1050 W. 4th St. in Mansfield.
On Tuesday May 10, U.S. Marshals fugitive task force members in Phoenix arrested Childress at an address near the 7300 block of West Valencia Drive in Phoenix. He was booked into the Maricopa County Jail where he will await extradition back to Ohio, the U.S. Marshals Service announced.
"Members of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force adopted the fugitive investigation for Childress and worked closely with Mansfield Police Department to develop a location for Childress in Arizona," the Marshals said in a statement.circumstances of how he ended up in Arizona were not specified.
The investigation dates back to May 1.
Responding to a 911 call about 2:51 a.m. that day, Mansfield police arrived at the Moto Mart and found Norris near the door of the business and suffering from a bullet wound to the head. He was immediately transported to a local hospital where he underwent surgery, police said in a statement."the preliminary investigation has revealed that the suspect approached the male victim and an unknown female in the parking lot of the incident location," Mansfield police said in their initial update May 2."The suspect smacked the female subject across
the face and then proceeded to pistol-whip the male victim who fell to the ground," police continued. "Once on the ground, the suspect shot the victim in the head."
The suspect, who was with another female, then fled in a white-colored SUV prior to police arrival, authorities said.
They later identified Childress as the suspect. Mansfield police said was "considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached."
"Mr. Childress is wanted on a felony warrant for attempted murder and is believed to be involved in at least one other shooting incident that resulted in a head wound within our city over the past two weeks," the Mansfield police statement said May 2.
Pete Elliott, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio, issued a statement after the arrest in Arizona.
“From the Mansfield Police Department to the fugitive task force in Phoenix, Arizona, this arrest was the result of outstanding law enforcement efforts," Elliott said. "Fugitives can flee, but they cannot outrun the reach of the U.S. Marshals Service.”