A Florida man is in jail without bond after deputies say he tracked down his girlfriend outside a bar, shot her in the face, then ran her over with his SUV and fled with his 5-year-old child still inside the vehicle.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Christopher “Dodge” Smith, 40. His girlfriend, Jessica Antolini, 30, remains hospitalized in critical condition.
According to a criminal complaint, Smith arrived at a bar in Safe Harbor, Florida, just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday appearing to be “hunting” Antolini down. Witnesses told deputies he looked “possessed.”
Once Smith found her, the two got into an argument outside the bar, and he allegedly shot her in the face. He then ran her over with his SUV and drove off from the scene with his child still in the car, leaving Antolini behind.
“Detectives say multiple 911 calls reporting the shooting were received from witnesses who also provided information about Smith’s vehicle,” the report says.
Deputies responding to the 911 calls located Smith’s SUV and attempted to pull him over. He did not comply, and deputies immobilized the vehicle. Bodycam, dashcam and aerial footage released by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office shows a deputy vehicle carrying out a PIT maneuver to stop the SUV.
Smith was arrested following the pursuit and charged with attempted first-degree murder and child abuse. He is being held in a Pinellas County jail cell with no bond because of the murder charge.
The child who was in the car was not injured and has been reunited with family.
