A multi-state manhunt for 29-year-old Darqareion Mills ended in chaotic fashion in Brownsville, Tennessee, when investigators say he tried to hide in an attic crawl space, only to crash through the ceiling into the room below, where officers promptly arrested him. Mills is wanted in connection with a March 25 hit-and-run in Kalamazoo that killed 51-year-old Mark Allen McBride. Authorities say no law enforcement officers were injured, and Mills is being held at a regional facility while officials arrange his extradition back to Michigan.
U.S. Marshals tracked Mills to a home about 60 miles northeast of Memphis and eventually located him in the overhead space, according to the Tampa Free Press. The outlet reported that part of the ceiling structure gave way, sending Mills through the drywall and into the living area, where officers were waiting to take him into custody.
Victim and the Kalamazoo investigation
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety identified the victim as Mark Allen McBride and said the crash occurred on the evening of March 25 in the 700 block of South Westnedge Avenue near Axtell Street. Witnesses told officers they saw two vehicles speeding through the area before one of them struck McBride, FOX 17 reported. Investigators later found the suspected vehicle unoccupied in nearby Galesburg, according to local reporting by WKZO, and the Kalamazoo Forensics Crime Lab processed both the crash scene and the vehicle.
How the search ended
Federal marshals and local officers converged on the Brownsville residence after following investigative leads. Law enforcement officials say Mills refused commands to come out of the attic crawl space until the ceiling gave way and he dropped into the living room, where he was immediately arrested, according to the Tampa Free Press. The report states that U.S. Marshals led the operation and that Mills was taken to a regional holding facility while extradition is arranged.
Legal status and next steps
Mills is being held on a warrant connected to a second-degree murder charge in the Kalamazoo hit-and-run case, according to the Tampa Free Press, and he is expected to be extradited to Michigan. Kalamazoo investigators say they are still building the case and have asked anyone with information or video of the crash to contact KDPS Criminal Investigations. FOX 17 reported that the department has issued a public call for tips.
Background and local context
Records indicate that a man with the same name previously faced a traffic-related charge in 2024, a detail that local coverage highlighted while authorities were working to identify the suspect, according to a 2024 item from WTVB. The rapid recovery of the suspected vehicle in Galesburg and the cross-state coordination that led to the Tennessee arrest were noted as examples of how tools such as license-plate-reader technology and interagency fugitive teams are increasingly playing a role in fatal-crash investigations.
McBride’s family described him as a devoted father and grandfather and a longtime public-sector worker, and they have joined police in asking anyone with information to come forward. Community members are being urged to contact KDPS or share anonymous tips through Kalamazoo Silent Observer, FOX 17 noted.
