The manhunt came to an end the night of February 22, 2011. Upon receiving tips from the community, police raided a home and arrested 16-year-old Nicholas Lindsey. Lindsey originally offered different accounts of the events, but eventually admitted information that conformed with the evidence police had already gathered, said St. Petersburg Police Chief Chuck Harmon. Police also stated that "he broke down and cried" and that Lindsey admitted to throwing the gun in a nearby creek. He was booked into the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center.
