Declan Connor Found Safe, Dad Arrested After Standoff With Police
Declan Connor has been found safe in Lewisville, Texas after an intense search by police. His father, Robert Leroy Connor III is believed to have murdered his own mother, then taken the boy to Texas.
Police were afraid that Declan could have been harmed in the harrowing ordeal, given that his father had been off his psychotic medications for some time and had shot and killed his own mother. Debi Connor had custody of Declan, which is what possibly led to the confrontation and murder.
Robert then took his son and went on the run, which led him from Oklahoma to Texas. Police issued an Amber Alert and asked for the public's help in finding the child. Early morning reports stated that Robert had been seen in North Texas, but no official word came through about Robert or Declan's condition.
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Now police have released details about the final confrontation. They received a tip that Robert and the boy were in Lewisville and had checked into the Marriott Fairfield Inn. Authorities were told that the 6-year-old boy was in good condition, and a SWAT team quickly surrounded the hotel and evacuated all the guests. They then set about to make contact with Robert in order to get Declan back unharmed.
"We had not been able to make contact," Captain Jay Lewis told KHOU 11 News. "We were trying cellphone contact, room contact."
Eventually police were able to use a PA system to rouse Robert, who then came outside. There was a bit of a standoff with police, but Robert finally handed Declan over to police, who are currently taking care of him and trying to locate the next of kin to take custody.
Robert was taken into police custody unharmed, which came as a relief to officials. It's unknown what his mental state was in at the time of the arrest, but Robert will likely be held in police custody and possibly a mental facility until the investigation into Debi Connor's murder is complete.
