Editing D.C. sniper attacks (section)

===Arrest===
[[File:D.C. Sniper Rest Area Aerial View.png|thumb|The rest area in which Muhammad and Malvo were captured; the blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice driven by them is at the upper left with its doors open.]]
[[File:D.C. Sniper Rest Stop Area Aerial View.png|thumb|A second aerial view of the rest stop.]]
[[File:D.C. Sniper 1990 Chevrolet Caprice.png|thumb|The blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice driven by Muhammad and Malvo, at the rest area where they were captured. Glass shards on the ground are a result of the shattering of the car's windows during the arrest.]]

The crime spree came to a close at 3:15&nbsp;a.m. on October 24, 2002, when Muhammad and Malvo were found sleeping in their car at a [[Rest area|rest stop]] off [[Interstate 70 in Maryland|Interstate 70]] near [[Myersville, Maryland]], and were arrested on federal weapons charges. Police were tipped off by two 911 calls from refrigerator mechanic Whitney Donahue at the rest stop.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=The Bellingham Herald | location=Bellingham, Washington | date=December 2, 2002 | page=6 | title=Public pressure rises to award sniper reward | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108445538/dc-sniper-lantz/ | access-date=August 28, 2022 | archive-date=August 28, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828001504/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108445538/dc-sniper-lantz/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Four hours earlier, Montgomery County police chief [[Charles Moose]] had relayed this cryptic message to the sniper: "You have indicated that you want us to do and say certain things.  You have asked us to say, 'We have caught the sniper like a duck in a noose.' We understand that hearing us say this is important to you". Moose asked the media "to carry the message accurately and often."<ref name=Moose>{{cite news|title=Text of Chief Moose's Statement |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/daily/oct02/1024moose.htm|access-date=July 28, 2019|newspaper=Washington Post|date=October 24, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022204305/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/daily/oct02/1024moose.htm|archive-date=October 22, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> This statement may refer to a [[Cherokee]] fable.<ref>{{cite news|title=The 'Duck in a Noose' Fable Explained|date=October 25, 2002|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-25-na-duck25-story.html|access-date=February 9, 2022|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|archive-date=February 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209083931/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-25-na-duck25-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Trooper First Class D. Wayne Smith of the [[Maryland State Police]] was the first to arrive at the scene and immediately used his light blue unmarked police vehicle to block off the exit by positioning the car sideways between two parked tractor-trailers. As more troopers arrived, they effectively sealed off the rest area at both the entrance and exit ramps without the suspects being aware of the rapidly growing police presence. Later, as truck driver Ron Lantz was attempting to exit the rest area, his tractor-trailer was [[Commandeering|commandeered]] by troopers who used the truck, in place of the police car, to complete the roadblock at the exit. With the suspects' escape route sealed off, the [[SWAT]] officers moved in to arrest them.<ref name="porteus"/>

A stolen [[Bushmaster Firearms International|Bushmaster]] [[.223 Remington|.223-caliber]] weapon and [[bipod]] were found in a bag in Muhammad's car. Ballistics tests later conclusively linked the seized rifle to 11 of the 14 shootings, including one in which no one was hurt.<ref name="porteus">{{cite news |last=Porteus |first=Liza |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,66630,00.html |title=Timeline: Tracking the Sniper's Trail – U.S. & World |publisher=FoxNews.com |date=October 29, 2002 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091019091620/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,66630,00.html |archive-date=October 19, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>