West Virginia Man Accused Of Shooting And Killing Pregnant Woman Taken Into Custody

MADISON, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia man accused of fatally shooting a pregnant woman and then fleeing in a stolen police cruiser has been arrested, authorities said.

Mitchell Hughes, 30, of Racine was taken into custody late Monday when homeowners near Kanawha State Forest found him at their door, the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.

Authorities had been searching for Hughes after Ashley Goad, 22, and her unborn child were fatally shot outside a home Monday in Boone County, news outlets reported. The shooting appeared to be random but was still under investigation, officials said.

After the shooting, Hughes allegedly led deputies on a foot chase, then stole a cruiser belonging to the Boone County Sheriff's Office, which he left near a shooting range at Kanawha State Forest before fleeing on foot again, authorities said.

Multiple agencies were involved in a search for Hughes, who was wanted on two counts of murder, Boone County Sheriff Chad Barker said.

Hughes was taken to South Central Regional Jail. Online records don't say whether he has an attorney.

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