Arrest made in slaying of Florida couple

PENSACOLA, Florida (CNN) - A Florida man has been arrested on evidence-tampering charges in connection to the killings of a Gulf Coast couple known for adopting special-needs children, authorities announced Sunday.

Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr. is accused of trying to modify a van that surveillance cameras captured leaving the slain couple's home, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan told reporters.

Gonzalez, 56, was one of two people picked up for questioning Saturday night. He is the first person arrested in connection with the Thursday night killings of Byrd and Melanie Billings, "hopefully with many to follow," Morgan said.

Eight children found in the Billings home were unharmed and were being cared for by relatives at "an undisclosed location," Morgan said Saturday night. They range in age from infancy to 11 years, police said.

Investigators released few details, but Morgan said Gonzalez "was involved in altering the appearance of the van" after authorities distributed pictures to news outlets. The discovery of the red Dodge van over the weekend was 'the linchpin in this case," the sheriff said.

"He was covering damage and painting the van to disguise the van from the video that was released to the press, so that it would not be readily recognizable," Morgan said.