Isaac Lawrence was arrested in south Durango, 6 miles from the alleged crime scene

A 12-year-old boy was allegedly stabbed to death Thursday morning by 16-year-old Isaac Lawrence at 122 Snowy Peaks Way in the Southwest Horizon Ranch suburb on the Florida Mesa about a mile south of Elmore’s Corner. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)

A 16-year-old boy was arrested Thursday morning southeast of Durango on suspicion of killing a 12-year-old boy.

Authorities initially described the incident as a double murder in which a boy and a woman of unknown age were killed. At about 11:30 a.m., La Plata County spokesman Ted Holteen said only the boy had been killed.

Officers responded shortly after 7 a.m. to a report of a motorist involved in a single-vehicle accident, believed to have been caused by the suspect as he fled on foot. Officers discovered the scene of the suspected murder when they arrived to investigate the accident.

Police arrested suspect Isaac Lawrence in the 1200 block of Escalante Drive in south Durango, about 6 miles from the scene of the alleged crime, after a manhunt that lasted more than an hour. A resident of the Rocket Pointe apartment complex spotted Lawrence around 10:35 a.m. and notified authorities.

The stabbing allegedly occurred in the Southwest Horizon Ranch neighborhood on Florida Mesa about a mile south of Elmore’s Corner, Holteen said.

A second victim, believed to be the suspect’s mother, was injured by a blunt object attack and is being treated at Mercy Hospital in Durango.

Lawrence was tasered by La Plata County sheriff’s deputies who arrested him, Holteen said. He had no weapons on him at the time and made no statements, said La Plata County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. said Chris Burke.

Officers working with the Colorado State Patrol and Durango police used drones and a helicopter from San Juan County, New Mexico, to search for the suspect.

Isaac Lawrence, 16, was arrested around 10:15 a.m. Thursday at an apartment complex in south Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)

Holteen emphasized Thursday morning that the case and the details of the incident are still extremely preliminary.

Residents within a 4-mile radius of Southwest Horizon Ranch were advised to seek shelter ahead of Lawrence’s arrest. The home from which Lawrence escaped is near Florida Mesa Elementary School, and all schools in Durango School District 9-R were in a “safe status,” meaning classes were from 7:45 a.m. to 10 a.m :30 p.m. continues in locked classrooms

According to a message from 9R to the community, the 12-year-old victim was a student at Durango Schools.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our students and extend our deepest condolences to the family during this incredibly difficult time,” the email said.

Lawrence was described as “very dangerous”. He was in the La Plata County Jail and is expected to be transferred to a juvenile detention center in Grand Junction.

This is a developing story. Visit www.durangoherald.com for updates.

Associate Editor Shane Benjamin contributed to this story.

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