Police Arrest Suspect in Murder of 'Sandlot' Actor's Mom After She Was Found Dead in Home

A suspect has been arrested in the murder of Sheriff Deputy Deanna Esmaeel, the mother of 'Sandlot' actor Marty York

A suspect has been taken into custody for the murder of Del Norte County Sheriff Deputy Deanna Esmaeel, the mother of Sandlot actor Marty York.

Esmaeel was was found dead in her home on Thursday morning, shortly after which the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office announced in a post on Facebook that it was searching for her boyfriend, Daniel James Walter. The department has now announced that the suspect has been arrested in the state of Oregon.

"The suspect was located and detained by Brookings PD and is in custody in Curry County, Oregon," a Friday night update from the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office's read.

The arrest comes after the department shared a wanted poster and images of the 54-year-old suspect, also known as Edward Patrick Davies, to social media.

While Walter, who legally changed his name in July 2023 to Davies, was last spotted in Crescent City, California, before his arrest, he was eventually taken into custody in Curry County — which is approximately 70 miles away from the site of the murder and an under 2-hour trip via car.

The suspect is listed on the Curry County Jail's online roster as Edward Patrick Davies, with an "unknown" release date. His offense is listed as "FUGITIVE FROM OTHER STATE."

On Friday, before Walter was taken into custody, York shared, "the hardest post I'll ever have to write" to his Instagram page, encouraging followers to contact authorities if they spotted the suspect.

"I found out from the sheriff department last night that my mother was murdered by a man she was seeing," the actor, who played Alan “Yeah-Yeah” McClennan in The Sandlot, wrote.

"The emotions I have are horrible right now between rage, vengeance, crying. There is a nationwide manhunt underway, please if you've seen this man contact the authorities immediately!"

"I just want my mom back 😭😭😭," he added in the comment section.

Related: Police Search for Man Accused of Murdering 'Sandlot' Actor's Mom: 'There Is a Nationwide Manhunt Underway'

In 2021, Esmaeel was sworn in as a deputy with the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office, and the office documented the ceremony on its Facebook page at the time, alongside an image of her swearing in. "In 2016, she saw a recruitment flyer featuring a female law enforcement officer and decided it was time for her to make her lifelong goal a reality," the post noted of Esmaeel, who previously worked in the film industry.

"She believes that the culmination of her life experiences has prepared her to serve well as a Deputy," it added. "She said, 'It's time for me to take everything I have learned in my life and help other people.'"

On Friday, Sheriff Scott shared via the department's Facebook post that the department is "deeply heartbroken with the loss of Deputy Esmaeel."

"Our hearts and prayers go out to her family, friends, and co-workers," he added.

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