Hernando County Deputies Arrest Dwayne Ives, End Multi-Day Armed Sexual Offense Search

Hernando County deputies arrested 32-year-old Dwayne Ives at about 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, bringing to a close a multi-day search for a man described by authorities as a suspect in an armed sexual-offense investigation. The arrest occurred in Hernando County and followed coordinated law enforcement efforts over several days.

Hernando County law enforcement took Ives into custody on the morning of Feb. 25 and transported him to be processed by investigators in the county. Deputies identified Ives by name and age in their public account of the case; police action at roughly 10:00 a.m. ended the active search that had kept investigators focused on locating the suspect.

Authorities have characterized the underlying matter as an armed sexual-offense investigation, and they described Ives as a suspect in that inquiry. The multi-day search involved Hernando County law enforcement efforts to locate and detain the individual named as part of the investigation, and the arrest shifts the response from pursuit to investigative processing.

With Ives now in custody in Hernando County, investigators will continue their work to gather evidence and determine next steps in the criminal process. The arrest removes an immediate phase of the public search and places the case into the hands of county investigators responsible for charging decisions and onward prosecution.