Suspect sought in Vermont capital's first murder in nearly 100 years

This undated photo shows Jayveon Caballero, of Barre, Vt. Caballero is wanted for the murder of 33-year-old Markus Austin in Montpelier, Vt. (Vermont State Police)

MONTPELIER, Vt. – A man has been shot dead outside an apartment complex in what police say is the first murder in the nation's smallest capital city in almost a century.

An arrest warrant was issued for Jayveon Caballero on a murder charge following the Sunday morning shooting in Montpelier, police said. Police were seeking Caballero in the killing of Markus Austin, whose body was found in the apartment complex's parking lot.

Caballero is believed to have boarded a bus on Sunday in White River Junction. Police said the bus was headed to New York City but had several intermediate stops where he could have gotten off.

Caballero and Austin had been involved in an altercation outside Gustos bar in Barre earlier Sunday morning, police said. During the altercation Austin assaulted Caballero's girlfriend, witnesses said.

Caballero later confronted Austin outside Austin's apartment and shot him, police said.

Caballero's girlfriend, Desiree Cary, was arrested Sunday evening in Barre, where Caballero lives. She appeared in court Monday, pleaded not guilty to drug charges and was released.

Montpelier has about 7,500 residents, making it the nation's least populous capital.

Police Chief Anthony Facos said the shooting death of Austin was the first murder in the city since the 1920s, when a woman shot her husband. He did not have additional details of that case.