UPDATE: Scottsdale Police say murder suspect Matthew S. Dieringer has been arrested and is now in custody.
Just before 9 a.m. on Sept. 6, a citizen called to report seeing a man they believed to be Dieringer around 13th Street and Indian School in Phoenix. He was arrested and booked into Maricopa County Jail for his probation violation. Additional charges are pending.
"I want to thank the men and women of the Scottsdale Police Department who worked tirelessly on this case. Their persistence and dedication made this outcome possible. I am also grateful to the members of our community who stepped forward after seeing our news release and provided the information we needed. I also want to thank the Phoenix Police Department for their swift and decisive action. This was a true team effort, and it shows what can be accomplished when our employees, our community, and our law enforcement partners work together. Let this also be a clear message: if you commit a violent crime in Scottsdale, we will use every resource at our disposal to find you, and you will be held accountable," Scottsdale Police Chief Joe LeDuc said.
Our previous coverage is below.
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Police searching for 'manipulative' murder suspect
Police in Scottsdale are searching for a man who allegedly murdered a man inside his home. They say the suspect is 'manipulative' and 'charismatic,' and had previously served time in jail. FOX 10's Brian Webb reports.
Scottsdale Police are searching for a man who is accused of murdering another man inside his home earlier in the week.
Authorities say the suspect, identified as 35-year-old Matthew Dieringer, is homeless but often makes friends with people to get them to offer him a place to stay. That’s what led them to an apartment complex in south Scottsdale, where officers found a dead man inside.
The backstory:
Scottsdale Police say on Sept. 1, their officers were called to conduct a welfare check in the area of 68th Street and McDowell Road. Police were called after 67-year-old Frank Quaranta, did not report to work.
"Responding officers were unable to contact the victim any other way and forced entry inside the residence to check on Quaranta. Tragically, Quaranta was found deceased inside," read a portion of a post police made on social media.
Quaranta, who often helps the homeless at Wesley United Methodist Church in south Phoenix, may have offered Dieringer a place to stay before he was killed.
Who Is The Suspect?:
Dieringer is described by investigators as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed man who is 6'3" tall. They also say he has been described as "manipulative and charismatic.
"Most major crimes I worked with, the suspects were almost always charismatic, outgoing," said Lance Leising, a retired FBI special agent. "It almost was an ego thing like they felt like they were smarter."
Dig deeper:
Tracking a suspect with no known address has its challenges.
"There are going to be ways for these investigators to see where this individual spends their time, and then they search for crimes in those areas that might match," Leising said.
Dieringer’s criminal tracks trace back to the Colorado Springs area, where he was convicted of torturing and dismembering his roommate's two little dogs and sentenced to 18 months behind bars. This is a classic sign of potential future violence, according to Leising.
"Sometimes it’s consistent bullying, sometimes it’s arson, sometimes it’s past a certain age. All of those factors along with animal abuse are all indicative, if they’re together, of future potential violence," he said.
What you can do:
Scottsdale Police are asking the public to not approach Dieringer if they see him. Instead, they say people should cvall 911 immediately.
"If you have any information on his whereabouts, call (480) 312-TIPS or Silent Witness at (480) 948-6377. Through Silent Witness, if the tip information leads to an arrest or indictment in the case, you're eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $1,000," read a portion of Scottsdale Police's statement.