Individual Has Been Detained by Police for Questioning in Connection with Nancy Guthrie Abduction

Police in Arizona have detained an individual for questioning in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday, Feb. 10.

The person was detained during a traffic stop south of Tucson, according to the sheriff’s department. Officials said they were preparing to search a location linked to the individual, ABC News reported.

Authorities had released new images and video earlier in the day showing an armed, masked person appearing to tamper with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door. It was not immediately known whether the detained individual is the same person seen in that footage.

PEOPLE also learned that regional SWAT and bomb squad units were activated for a mission with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday, according to the Oro Valley Police Department. Police could not confirm whether the mission was directly related to Guthrie’s case.

The detention came as investigators from the sheriff’s office and the FBI were seen in the neighborhood of Savannah Guthrie’s sister, Annie Guthrie, asking questions. Annie’s home is about four miles from her mother’s longtime residence in Tucson, where authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was taken overnight on Jan. 31.

Sheriff Chris Nanos previously told The New York Times that Nancy Guthrie was last seen the evening of Jan. 31, when her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, dropped her off at home after dinner with him and Annie.

Her family reported her missing on Feb. 1 after she did not arrive at a friend’s home to livestream a church service as planned. Investigators have said they believe she was taken against her will, and Nanos described the investigation as extensive during a Tuesday, Feb. 3 press conference.

Since the search began, investigators have reported finding what appeared to be a trail of blood on the front steps of her home. Police confirmed that blood found on the exterior porch matched Nancy Guthrie’s DNA. Investigators also said remnants of a Ring camera had been removed from the front door area.

In the days that followed, media outlets reported receiving alleged ransom notes, including local station KOLD News 13 and TMZ. On Feb. 7, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings posted an emotional video on Instagram addressing the alleged kidnappers, saying, “We will pay.”