West Virginia authorities in Delphos Wednesday investigating new updates in the murder investigation of former coal CEO Ben Hatfield in West Virginia.
"At approximately 2:00 AM on Tuesday morning, the 24th, our officers received a call from dispatch saying that West Virginia had a warrant for a suspect involved in a murder," said Delphos Police Chief Mark Slate.
That suspect was 20 year old Anthony Arriaga who Delphos Police say attended Jefferson High School and some officers are familiar with him.
According to Mingo County Sheriffs in West Virginia, Arriaga allegedly shot former International Coal Group and Patriot Coal CEO Ben Hatfield who was visiting his wife's grave in a West Virginia cemetery around noon Sunday.
Mingo County officers found his body early Monday morning, then notified Ohio authorities Arriaga could be at a relative's house in Delphos. "And they gave an address of where he was located, officers went to that address, the suspect was standing on the front porch with his mother, they approached him, advised him of the warrant, and took him into custody without incident," said Chief Slate.
Arriaga waived his extradition in Lima Municipal Court Tuesday and bond was set at $1 million. Two more people of interest were also arrested in Kentucky and West Virginia.
And new evidence surfaced Tuesday bringing two West Virginia detectives to Delphos. The Delphos Police Chief says he received a call Tuesday from the owner of a car wash on Canal Street about an abandoned car on his lot. When they arrived they found that car matched the description of the vehicle West Virginia authorities were looking for in connection with the murder investigation.
The car had no plates but detectives are in Delphos looking over the vehicle and running the V.I.N. number. "The only thing I know is he got a ride from the county the alleged murder happened in to another county in West Virginia, and then got a ride from there to the Ohio border, and from there that's all we know, we don't know how he got back to Delphos," said Chief Slate.
Authorities have not yet identified a motive but are questioning Arriaga's mother and others. Your News Now received word from officials that Arriaga was being transported back to West Virginia late Wednesday afternoon.
