The search for the gunman accused of killing a Tennessee sheriff's deputy intensified Friday as authorities released new photos of the suspect and raised the reward for his arrest.
There have been no confirmed sightings of Steven Wiggins, 31, since he allegedly killed Dickson County Sheriff's Sgt. Daniel Baker on Wednesday. Baker's body was found in his patrol car in a wooded area several miles from where he had stopped a suspicious car.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) released new photos of Wiggins that were taken at a local Walmart the night before he allegedly killed Baker. Wiggins was wearing a brown hat, black shirt with glasses while sporting a dark beard.
Authorities also raised the reward for information leading to Wiggins' arrest to $46,000. Officials said they believe he is armed and dangerous.
"It's very imperative for everyone to keep their eyes, their ears open for this individual," TBI spokeswoman Susan Niland said at a news conference. "He could be in Dickson County. He could be in a neighboring county. But the fact is, we don't know where he is."
Federal, state and local authorities have joined the search. Officials were focusing on a wooded area in Hickman County late Thursday, according to The Tennessean. Officials added they were checking into hundreds of tips, while Dickson County Sheriff Jeff Bledsoe believes Wiggins might be on foot close by.
Steve Wiggins is wanted in connection to a deputy's murder. (TBI)
"At this point, we're going to work with all our agencies and all of our partners, and there will be no rest until he's taken into custody," Bledsoe said.
Baker was responding to a call about a stolen vehicle in Kingston Springs when officials said they lost contact with him. Officers were able to use GPS to track the deputy's car, where he was found dead. Officials told WSMV-TV that Wiggins had taken Baker's weapon and vehicle before abandoning it.
Late Wednesday evening, a female suspect, identified as Erika Castro-Miles, 38, of Dickson, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection to Baker's death, TBI announced. The agency said during the investigation, they learned that Castro-Miles "participated in the incident."
Castro-Miles was sitting in the car with Wiggins when he shot and killed the deputy. She fled the shooting scene Wednesday and hid under a house, local news outlets reported, citing an affidavit.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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