Person detained in connection with Nancy Guthrie disappearance

A person was detained for questioning in connection with the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday evening.

The big picture: The "Today" show co-host's 84-year-old mother was reported missing from her home outside of Tucson, Arizona, more than a week ago.

The latest: The FBI and local law enforcement were searching a location in Rio Rico, some 60 miles south of Tucson and near the U.S. border with Mexico, in connection with the Guthrie case, Pima County Sheriff's Department told media Tuesday night.

• FBI Director Kash Patel said on Fox News' "Hannity" Tuesday night that investigators were looking at more than one person of interest.

Driving the news: The Pima County Sheriff's Department said on X its deputies "detained a subject during a traffic stop south of Tuscon" earlier Tuesday.

• This person was being questioned in connection to the Guthrie investigation, per the post.
• CNN, NBC, ABC and others reported earlier that a man was detained for questioning in relation to the case.

What they're saying: Patel told Fox News host Sean Hannity that without wanting to pollute the investigation, "I will say we have made substantial progress in these last 36, 48 hours thanks to the technical capabilities of the FBI and our partnerships," adding: "I do believe we are looking at people who, as we say, are persons of interest."

• The FBI directed Axios' request for information to the sheriff's department, which did not immediately respond on Tuesday evening.

The intrigue: The detainment came hours after law enforcement shared photos of a masked individual outside of Guthrie's front door the morning she disappeared. Authorities did not immediately say whether they believed the detained person was the same as the masked individual in the images.

• Patel said on X that the images were recovered from "residual data in backend systems" that "may have been lost, corrupted, or inaccessible due to a variety of factors — including the removal of recording devices."

Catch up quick: Guthrie was last seen on Jan. 31 when a family member dropped her off at her Catalina Foothills home, according to law enforcement. She was reported missing the following day.

• Law enforcement had offered a $50,000 reward for information in the case.

Of note: Multiple ransom letters were sent to TV stations last week and Savannah Guthrie and her siblings on Feb. 7 posted a video saying, "We received your message and we understand ... this is very valuable to us, and we will pay."

• Law enforcement has not confirmed the legitimacy of the demand letters, which had a final compliance deadline of Feb. 9 at 5pm.
• Shortly before that deadline, Savannah Guthrie posted another video asking the public to continue submitting tips.

What we're watching: Law enforcement is asking the public to continue reporting tips at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Go deeper: Savannah Guthrie asks for public's help

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.