Authorities in Tennessee continue to call on the public for leads in the ongoing search for a suspect wanted in connection with the shooting death of a sheriff’s deputy earlier this week.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, a manhunt began Wednesday after 31-year-old Steven Wiggins was identified as a person of interest in the death of 32-year-old Sgt. Daniel Baker.
The man, described as a white male approximately 6’1″ and 220 pounds, was soon added to the state’s Most Wanted list.
We've also added Wiggins to our Top 10 Most Wanted list. There is now a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest. pic.twitter.com/vnERWldSXQ
— TBI (@TBInvestigation) May 30, 2018
Baker was reportedly killed during a traffic stop in Dickson County early Wednesday that led to an altercation with the suspect.
At the time of the initial police statement, a $2,500 reward was established for information leading to Wiggins’ arrest.
By Thursday, Fox News reported that the reward had grown more than tenfold to at least $35,000 as of the latest updates available.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Acting Director Jason Locke credited police agencies in New York and three California cities for a combined addition of $20,000 in reward money.
While officials cited the ongoing investigation in declining specific details, Dickson County Sheriff Jeff Bledsoe suggested video footage of the incident revealed a tragic ordeal culminating in the officer’s death. The series of events resulted with Baker’s cruiser abandoned roughly two miles from the scene of the traffic stop.
Police have already made one arrest in the case. Erica Castro-Miles, 38, is accused of being an occupant in the gunman’s vehicle when Baker was shot. She allegedly fled the scene after the shooting and hid under a nearby residence.
Citing evidence that she was an active participant in the shooting, the TBI indicated that she is expected to face criminal charges including first-degree murder.
Officials warn that Wiggins should be treated as armed and dangerous.
[Feature photo: Steven Wiggins/Tennessee Bureau of Investigations]
