Suspect in Aniah Blanchard disappearance arrested by U.S. Marshals in Florida

Escambia County, Fla. — Our sister station WEAR reports the man wanted in connection with the disappearance of Alabama student Aniah Blanchard has been arrested in Escambia County, Florida.

U.S. Marshals in Montgomery, Alabama called the U.S. Marshals in Florida after receiving a tip that 30-year-old Ibraheem Yazeed was possibly in the area of Pine Forest and I-10 in Escambia County.

Auburn Police Department identified Yazeed as a suspect and issued a first-degree kidnapping warrant Thursday. They identified him as dangerous and possibly armed.

U.S. Marshals told us they converged on the area and spotted him wearing all black, and called the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for assistance.

Around 11 p.m. Thursday night, Yazeed must have been spooked by the increased law enforcement presence, so he ran, an agent said. Our sister station WEAR was on the scene when Marshals captured Yazeed hiding in a brushy area near I-10 and Pine Forest.

Yazeed was taken to a local hospital complaining of chest pains. As Yazeed was being taken away by EMS, he began shouting at our cameraman, and EMS shielded his face which appeared swollen.

He has been booked into the Escambia County Jail and quickly extradited to Alabama.

He was booked into Lee County Jail on Friday evening.

Additional arrests are expected in this case.

Go here for more coverage on the search for Aniah Blanchard.