As panic of the epidemic of murders spread, Lanarkshire police were reinforced by detectives and officers from the Glasgow CID. On 14 January, police arrived at the Manuels' Birkenshaw residence, armed with an arrest warrant formally charging him both with the murder of the Smart family and with breaking and entering into the Uddingston home of a family named McMunn on 4 January that year. Manuel had been asleep at the time of the police's arrival; as an officer named Andrew Stuart recited the arrest warrant to his (Manuel's) father, Manuel became verbally abusive. Informed he was to be taken to Bellshill police station for further questioning, Manuel replied: "You haven't found anything yet. You can't take me!" Shortly thereafter, he voluntarily left his home in the company of the officers.