PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The State Attorney’s Office will seek the death penalty for a man accused of fatally shooting two people at a Walgreens in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Christian Barrios, 32, was charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Melissia Wood and Jason Chatham on March 14.
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On Tuesday, the SAO filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Barrios.
According to his arrest warrant, Barrios’ mother drove him to the site of the shooting and told deputies that she heard the moment that gunshots rang off.
Investigators say he called his mother and asked for a ride to the location where he believed his girlfriend, Melissa Wood, and her alleged boyfriend, Jason Chatham, could be found.
The mother told St. Johns County deputies that Barrios rode in the back of her car and “frantically jumped out” upon seeing his girlfriend’s vehicle.
The arrest warrant states that a few seconds later, the mother told deputies that she heard multiple gunshots coming from the direction of Melissa’s car, which prompted her to call 911 and meet with detectives.
During their investigation, deputies said they found an empty handgun holster in the back of the mother’s vehicle. The mother told deputies that the holster did not belong to her.
Previous reports from SJSO, which were redacted, stated that Barrios went to the Walgreens along A1A to confront his girlfriend and a man he believed she was in a relationship with.
Following the incident, Barrios contacted a witness who was his friend, while that person was speaking with law enforcement, the report said.
The arrest documents go on to say that Barrios appeared to be concerned with the well-being of the victims; however, he did not make any admissions.
Barrios also reportedly told the witness that if he met with law enforcement, “they would likely kill him, and he did not want to go back to prison.”
The warrant further detailed how Barrios allegedly stole a BMW and attempted to evade law enforcement before being caught in Nassau County.