Maryland officials located suspect vehicle tied to circuit court judge's killing
Maryland authorities are still looking for Pedro Argote, the suspect in the Oct. 19 shooting death of Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, but they located the alleged killer's abandoned vehicle on Sunday morning.
The alleged child abuser who is accused of killing the Maryland judge who awarded his estranged wife custody of their children once stuffed a towel into the mouth of a crying baby, according to allegations made during a hearing just hours before the shooting.
Police found Judge Andrew "Drew" Wilkinson dead in his Hagerstown driveway last Thursday evening with gunshot wounds. He was overseeing the divorce case involving his suspected killer, 49-year-old Pedro Argote, who had skipped a custody hearing that day in which the judge ruled against him.
Argote is the subject of an active manhunt after authorities found his 2009 Mercedes abandoned over the weekend in Williamsport.
SUSPECT VEHICLE IN MARYLAND JUDGE'S KILLING FOUND WHILE ALLEGED SHOOTER STILL ON THE RUN
The U.S. Marshals Service is now involved in the search for the 49-year-old suspect and are offering a $10,000 reward for information that could lead to his arrest. (Washington County Sheriff's Office/USMS/Julie E. Greene/Imagn)
According to an audio recording of the hearing obtained by The Associated Press, Eugenia Argote told the court her husband was abusive and controlling, describing the towel incident, and restricted his wife's access to their finances and even their shared vehicle.
Lawyers for Eugenia Argote also accused her husband of halting mortgage payments. Pedro Argote's adult daughter from a prior relationship testified that he beat her and put cameras all around their house and spied on her.
"The manner in which Mr. Argote has isolated these children and mom over the past two years, I think that has gone on throughout the marriage, and it’s shocking," Wilkinson said on the recording. "I think he is abusive in multiple ways."
MARYLAND JUDGE KILLED IN ‘TARGETED ATTACK’ AFTER SUSPECT'S DIVORCE, CUSTODY HEARING: OFFICIALS
The Washington County Sheriff's Office on Friday named Pedro Argote, pictured here, as a suspect in connection with the shooting of Maryland Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson. (Washington County Sheriff)
Wilkinson not only awarded custody to the wife, but he also denied Pedro Argote visitation rights and ordered him to stay away from the children and the family home.
The judge's wife and son were home at the time of his alleged killing.
"This is such an unexpected loss to us, and words do not exist to describe the amazing person Drew was," Wilkinson's wife, Stephanie Wilkinson, said in a statement Wednesday announcing her husband's funeral arrangements.
"Our family would especially like to thank local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies for their immediate and continued response to this tragedy," she added. "Drew would be very grateful for all of your efforts for both us and the community."
Washington County Circuit Court Clerk Kevin Tucker, right, swears in Andrew F. Wilkinson as a circuit court judge on Jan. 10, 2020, as Wilkinson's wife, Stephanie, watches. Wilkinson was found with apparent gunshot wounds around 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Wilkinson was taken from his home in Hagerstown to Meritus Medical Center, where he died of his injuries, the sheriff's office said. (Julie E. Greene/Imagn)
A funeral for the judge is scheduled for Friday at the Saint Ann Roman Catholic Church in Hagerstown.
Argote does not have a criminal record in Washington County, but authorities have been called to his address for "verbal domestic assaults" twice within the last several years, according to the sheriff's office.
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Court records show he was also the subject of a domestic violence complaint in 2022 that required him to surrender his firearms – however the case was dismissed 12 days after its filing.
Anyone with information regarding Argote's whereabouts is urged to contact the Washington County Sheriff's Office at 240-313-2170 or the U.S. Marshals at 1-877-WANTED2.
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He has ties to other states, including New York and Florida. The U.S. Marshals are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to his capture.
Fox News' Audrey Conklin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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