BELLEVILLE, Ill. – A makeshift memorial sits outside a Belleville home one day after police captured a fleeing suspect who slammed his car into a home, killing two people.
Just after 9 a.m. Sunday, police were called to the 100 block of Eighth St. when a vehicle crashed into the home. Police say the home quickly became engulfed in flames, injuring a juvenile boy and killing a 35-year-old woman and a 4-year-old girl.
“Preliminary indications are that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when it hit the residence,” Belleville Police Department Assistant Chief Lt. Col. Mark Heffernan said. “Due to the crash into the residence, it quickly became engulfed in flames and fire and police responded as quickly as possible.”
The driver fled the scene, beginning a massive manhunt with multiple agencies. Belleville Police quickly posted a photo of the suspect onto social media, where locals reported seeing him near the Dollar Tree.
“Officers responded quickly and took the subject into custody. So, it’s really a testament to our ability to get the word out to the public to help us apprehend dangerous individuals,” Heffernan said.
Officers took Matthew Thomas into custody. The juvenile boy in the home was released from the hospital Sunday.
