North Texas

Fort Worth Man Arrested in Deaths of Wife, Son: Police

A Fort Worth man whose wife and infant son were found dead in the family's home last week has been arrested in Colorado and is held on a warrant of capital murder, police say.

Craig Allen Vandewege, 35, was stopped late Wednesday evening by a police officer in Glenwood Springs, Colo., who took him into custody for speeding and failing to provide proof of insurance.

Fort Worth police say that while Vandewege was being processed, he was detained on an outstanding warrant of capital murder from Fort Worth police.

He remains jailed in Colorado on a $1 million bond, police said.

A Fort Worth man whose wife and infant son were found dead in the family’s home last week has been arrested in Colorado and is held on a warrant of capital murder, police say.

Vandewege's wife, 36-year-old Shanna Vandewege, and 3-month-old son, Diederik, were found dead inside their home on Cactus Flower Drive in Fort Worth last Thursday. The medical examiner's office said the mother and child died from neck wounds.

Shanna Vandewege was a registered nurse working at a local hospital. She was on maternity leave when she died. The funerals for the mother and child were held this week in Colorado.

Fort Worth police last interviewed Craig Vandewege on Monday, and they said he denied any knowledge of the murders.

According to an arrest affidavit, Glenwood Springs (Colo.) police say they received a call Wednesday of a suspicious person who borrowed a stranger's cell phone to make a few calls and "talk about a murder." He went onto say he was "on the run from the police," according to the police document.

An officer who responded said he observed a white Hyundai sedan with no license plates. The officer said the driver pulled into a gas station, opened the trunk and screwed on a Texas license plate before continuing. The officer pulled over the vehicle when it began accelerating rapidly, police said.

Police said the officer asked for the driver's identification and insurance information, and then asked the driver – identified as Craig Vandewege – to step out of the vehicle. Vandewege initially refused but then complied and was placed under arrest.

Police said Vandewege showed "no emotion" when he told the officer that "it's been a long week, my wife and kid were murdered in Texas."

He told the officer to call his attorney if he needed to verify anything that he was telling him.

During a search, police said they found two loaded pistols on Vandewege's person – one in a waistband holster and the other in an ankle holster – and he provided a concealed handgun permit issued by Weld County, Colorado.

When asked about knives during the traffic stop, Vandewege allegedly told the officer, "I'm not a knife guy."

Inside the vehicle, police said they found "numerous boxes of different caliber ammunition, empty gas cans, camouflage clothing, numerous bottles of medication, and other miscellaneous items that included an AR-15 style rifle and a .22 (caliber) revolver."

The murders have left people in their Fort Worth neighborhood stunned.

"It was shocking, especially a young baby. That's just, it upsets me," said neighbor William Hamilton.

Vandewege's arrest has certainly quelled some fears. While some neighbors said they wanted to move out all together, others said they were so scared not knowing who may have done this, they wouldn't even let their children play outside.

"This is their break time from school, so they're always outside playing and I wouldn't let them," said Hamilton.

NBC 5's Ashleigh Barry contributed to this report.

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