A Columbus man wanted in connection with a March shooting on Oakland Park Avenue is back in custody after federal marshals tracked him to Sandusky and ended a brief multi-county manhunt on Thursday. Authorities say the attack left a man with multiple gunshot wounds and a woman shot in the leg. The suspect, 38-year-old Dwayne Rheubottom, was arrested at a Sandusky residence and is being held while officials work to bring him back to Franklin County.
According to Cleveland 19, members of the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF), Lorain Division, arrested Rheubottom with assistance from the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST). The Lorain division transported him to the Erie County Jail, where he is being held before his return to Franklin County to face felonious assault charges. U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott told Cleveland 19 that the arrest highlighted strong investigative work and close coordination between the task forces.
Federal Task Forces Tracked Him Down
The U.S. Marshals Service and its regional task forces routinely team up with local strike units when suspects cross county lines. Recent Marshals Service releases describe how the NOVFTF's Lorain Division works with partner agencies across northern Ohio, as detailed by the U.S. Marshals Service. Those shared intelligence and arrest resources helped investigators follow Rheubottom from Franklin County to an address in Sandusky, officials said.
What We Know About The March Shooting
Columbus police investigated the March shooting on Oakland Park Avenue that sent two people to the hospital. Investigators say a man was hit with multiple gunshots and a woman was shot in the leg. The Columbus Division of Police later obtained a warrant for Rheubottom on felonious assault charges tied to that incident, according to Cleveland 19. Detectives have not released a motive or a specific date for the March shooting.
Legal Next Steps
Rheubottom is currently being held in Erie County and is expected to be transported back to Franklin County to face felony charges. The U.S. Marshals Service oversees extradition and prisoner transport for fugitives and coordinates custody transfers between jurisdictions, a process laid out in the agency's annual reporting. Once Rheubottom arrives in Franklin County, local prosecutors will schedule his arraignment and determine the next steps in the case.
Columbus detectives say the investigation remains active and have not released further details. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Columbus Division of Police.
