A man suspected of stabbing a North Port couple to death is now in custody after a search early Friday morning.
A North Port community is in shock after police found the couple stabbed to death inside their home. Police believe it was at the hands of 21-year-old Dima Tower.
According to investigators, shortly before midnight on Thursday, officers were called out to a disturbance in the 1200 block of Mallicoat Road.
That is where officers found a man and woman dead inside a home with multiple stab wounds. They also saw Tower getting into a vehicle.
“The suspect appeared to be putting some things in a car. An officer gave commands to stop and that individual got into the car and took off at a high rate of speed,” said Josh Taylor, spokesperson for North Port Police Department.
Police chased Tower as he drove north on I-75, before he got out of the vehicle and ran into the woods. He was found roughly seven hours later, at a gas station near I-75 and Laurel Road.
Police said Tower and the victims lived together as a family unit. Neighbors tell ABC Action News the couple was well known in the community.
“Just nice people. They were community people. They kept an eye on the community, they kept an eye on the neighborhood. They were the first ones to greet us when we came here and welcome us to the neighborhood,” said C.J. Coleman.
Melissa Wilets has lived in the neighborhood for nearly two decades. She said another family related murder happened there several years ago.
“I’ve seen the people for over 15 years walking their dogs around the neighborhood. It’s heartbreaking that it could happen so close to home, twice now in several years,” Wilets said.
According to police Tower was arrested back in 2020 following a domestic incident.
ABC Action News is no longer showing his photo now that he is in custody.
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This policy started in early 2021
No other information on the victims has been released.
