Man sought in Fla. slayings detained in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Police in Haiti have detained a man wanted for questioning in the slaying of his wife and their five children in Florida.

An Associated Press reporter saw Mesac Damas in custody at a police station near the Port-au-Prince airport Monday afternoon. Two officers confirmed it was him. They spoke on condition of anonymity because his capture had not been publicly announced.

Damas’ wife and their five children, ages 9 years to 11 months, were found slain Saturday inside their apartment in Naples, Florida.

Police in Florida say Damas boarded a flight to Haiti from Miami International Airport on Friday. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office in southwest Florida says the 33-year-old Damas is a person of interest in the slayings.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Family members say they urged a Haitian immigrant killed in her Florida home with her five children to leave her husband because of his violent behavior.

Mackindy Dieu told The Associated Press on Monday that Mesac Damas was physically and verbally abusive toward his sister. He says Damas once choked Guerline Damas as she was holding their infant.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office in southwest Florida is calling Mesac Damas a person of interest in the slayings.

Guerline Damas and her five children, ages 9 years to 11 months, were found slain in their Naples apartment Saturday evening.

Authorities say Mesac Damas boarded a flight for Haiti on Friday. The sheriff’s investigators say they are working with the FBI to contact Haitian law enforcement.