PALATKA, Fla. – A man wanted in the fatal shooting of his girlfriend in the parking lot of the Putnam County Health Department just after noon Tuesday surrendered about three hours later, according to Palatka police.
Police said Jose Antonio Maldonado showed up and confronted his ex-girlfriend in the parking lot of the building on Kennedy Street. They said Maldonado shot her, then fled.
"I heard t(my dogs) doing a lot of barking, and that's when I looked outside and seen all the commotion going on," resident Brian Dasher said. "I knew it was something bad."
The woman, whose name was not released, was taken to Putnam Community Medical Center, where she died.
Police said Maldonado was accompanied by his brother when he turned himself in at the Putnam County Jail. The gun used in the killing had not been recovered.
Police said Maldonado and the woman lived in Palatka and had a child together. He lived as a couple for over 13 years.Â
The victim had a domestic violence injunction against him, police said.
News4Jax learned that Maldonado has 10 arrests over past 20 years in Putnam County, most recently for aggravated stalking. He also has arrests for domestic battery, aggravated assault, theft and lascivious battery.
The health department was surrounded by police and evidence technicians and closed for the day.
Police said that because of the search for the suspect, Palatka schools were on modified lockdown. News4Jax was told dismissal began before 3 p.m., but some students were delayed getting home.