Florida man shoots girlfriend once, returns and shoots her fatally, deputies say

Credit: Morguefile

Credit: Morguefile

A Florida man faces a first-degree murder charge after allegedly firing a shot at his girlfriend, fleeing the scene, then returning and shooting her a number of times, The Tampa Bay Times reported.

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Nathaniel J. Yates, 32, of Largo, is accused in the shooting death of Christine Giles, 28, of Seminole, according to a news release from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

According to the news release, Giles was found unresponsive in a travel trailer parked outside of a Largo home at 11:14 p.m. Thursday and was pronounced dead from several gunshot wounds.

After determining Yates was the subject, deputies discovered the man already was in custody, charged on five counts for unrelated crimes committed at 4:30 a.m. Friday.

According to the news release, Yates and Giles were inside the travel trailer with Wesley Warn, 61, of Largo. Yates threatened Warn with a .380 caliber handgun, then pointed the gun at Giles and shot her once before fleeing the scene, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies said Yates returned “a short time later” and shot Giles multiple times.

Witnesses told detectives that Yates and Giles had been dating for several months but had broken up, the Times reported. Although Giles had called off the relationship, deputies believed she and Yates were dating again at the time of the shooting, the Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

Yates was arrested about 2 p.m. Saturday on one charge of first-degree murder and one charge of aggravated assault, the Times reported.

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