Homicide Suspect Ditches Hospital, Dodges Police
Suspect leaves hospital before police can charge him
Thursday, Sep 3, 2009 | Updated 9:12 PM EST
Montgomery County Police
Dillon dodged police by leaving the hospital without signing himself out.
WASHINGTON -- A suspect in the fatal shooting of a Silver Spring man walked out of a Washington hospital a free man, according to Montgomery County police.
Police are searching for 39-year-old Winston Dillon, one of two men who allegedly shot 63-year-old Clarence Rankine multiple times on Sunday.
Dillon was shot in the leg that day, too, and was being treated at Washington Hospital Center. Before police could serve an arrest warrant, Dillon let himself out of the hospital Wednesday, Lt. Paul Starks said.
Rankine had hosted a gathering at his home the morning he was shot, investigators said. He got into an argument with a group of men, including Dillon, which resulted in an exchange of gunfire before 5 a.m., according to police. At least 12 rounds were fired.
After police reached the scene, they learned of two people suffereing from non-life-threatening gunshot wounds at the hospital, police said. Dillon was one of them.
Police developed Dillon and 39-year-old Vincent Minto as suspects, but before they had probable cause to bring charges, Dillon left the hospital against proper procedure and without signing out.
A guard was not by Dillon's room because he had yet to be charged with a crime, Starks said.
Dillon left the hospital with a brace on his right leg as part of his treatment.
Police also are searching for Minto, who was among the group of men Rankine argued with and who last seen at the time of the slaying.
Authorities have first-degree murder warrants for both men.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC4 Washington
Posted Thursday, Sep 3, 2009 - 3:32 PM EST
