A $10,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of a man accused of fatally shooting a Maryland judge in a “targeted attack” outside his home.
The U.S. Marshals Service is seeking the public’s help in finding Pedro Argote, 49, who is wanted in connection with Thursday’s killing of Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson. Wilkinson was shot hours after he gave Argote’s estranged wife custody of their four minor children.
On Saturday, an SUV belonging to Argote was found by a resident of the Williamsport, Maryland area near the West Virginia border. The vehicle was discovered around 11 a.m. and authorities conducted an initial search but found no weapons.
Deputies, marshals, and local police are currently searching the remote woods near the location where the SUV was found.
The suspect, Pedro Argote, has ties to multiple areas outside Maryland, including Brooklyn, Long Island, New York, Columbus, Indiana, and Tampa and Clearwater, Florida. He also has connections to unknown locations in North Carolina.
Authorities have classified Argote as armed and dangerous, and any sightings should be reported to the police immediately. However, local law enforcement does not believe residents in and around Williamsport are currently at risk.
Wilkinson, the slain judge, presided over Argote’s divorce case filed in June 2022. The morning of the shooting, Wilkinson granted Argote’s wife an absolute divorce, as well as sole legal custody of their four children. Argote did not attend the hearing.
Argote was ordered by Wilkinson not to contact or visit the children, barred from contacting his former wife unless initiated for necessary purposes, and prohibited from entering the family home. He was also ordered to pay child support.
According to the court document, the judgment was based on “cruelty of treatment” and “irreconcilable differences.” Albert, the Washington County Sheriff, stated that the shooting was a response to the custody decision.
Prior to the shooting, Argote’s wife had filed a domestic violence petition against him in June 2022, alleging physical abuse against one of their daughters. The petition was dismissed less than two weeks after it was filed.
Attorney Michael Gast, who briefly represented Argote in the case, stated that he convinced the wife’s attorney to dismiss the petition due to a lack of evidence. Gast described Argote as a “very quiet guy” and expressed surprise at the alleged crime.
For the original article, visit NBCNews.com
