PALATKA, Fla. – A 46-year-old man followed his estranged girlfriend to the Putnam County Health Department just before noon Tuesday, confronted her, then shot her as she sat in a car in the parking lot, according to Palatka police.
Officers found Linnie Drumm, 44, unconscious and bleeding. She was transported to Putnam Community Medical Center, where she died. The victim's daughter, who was also in the car at the time, was not hurt.
Jose Antonio Maldonado, who turned himself in at the Putnam County Jail about three hours after the shooting, faced a judge Wednesday morning on a charge of first-degree murder. He was ordered held without bond and an attorney was appointed to represent him.
The gun used in the killing had not been recovered.
Police said Maldonado and Drumm lived together in Palatka for 13 years and had a child together. Police said Drumm had four children and had taken one of them to the Health Department for a medical appointment. Investigators said Maldonado followed Drumm to the parking lot and shot her.
People who knew Maldonado, who they called Tony, said he was well-liked and couldn't comprehend that he was charged with murder.
"I was just shocked because I knew his face. I knew he lived out here in the complex where I lived," Maldonado's neighbor, Cynthia Burke, said. "It was very surprising."
Maldonado was no stranger to police. He had a long arrest history in Putnam County, and Drumm had taken out a domestic violence injunction against him in 2013.
News4Jax learned that Drumm called police three times on Maldonado in just one month.
- Dec 4: Police say Maldonado showed up at Drumm's home and made threats
- Dec. 6: Drumm pursued charges of aggravated stalking
- Dec. 28: Police say Maldonado violated the injunction again by calling Drumm 130 times in 10-day period
News4Jax learned that domestic violence incidents in Putnam County occur at nearly twice the rate of the Florida average. Anyone who has been the victim of domestic violence in the state can call 800-500-1119 and will be directed to the nearest shelter.
Angie Pye, executive director for the Lee Conlee House, Putnam County's domestic violence shelter, said some women in domestic violence situations will try to make their abuser happy so they don't get hurt. That may explain why Drumm allowed Maldonado to spend time with her family over Thanksgiving weekend.
'It's much like if you were kidnapped by a stranger. You wouldn't agitate that person. You would placate and appease that person and try to keep yourself safe in that situation until you find a way out," Pye said.
Having a child involved can also make the situation very complicated, Pye said. Stronger penalties for abusers are necessary, Pye said, but she also believes communities need to band together to send a message that this kind of behavior is not acceptable, which takes that responsibility off the victim.
"We have to get in front of this issue," Pye said. "Part of that is the accountability. The first time these individuals come into contact with law enforcement, we have to prosecute those things to the full extent of the law. People have to be held accountable. People have to pay for what they're doing."