Woman kills boyfriend in Tampa before fleeing to Alabama, turning gun on self: HCSO

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A man is dead after his girlfriend shot and killed him in Tampa early Wednesday morning before she fled to Alabama and turned the gun on herself, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Just before 7 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a home in the 9200 block of Shellgrove Court after receiving a call from a “concerned family member.”

When deputies entered the home, they found 50-year-old Kelbys Avila dead from a gunshot wound.

HCSO later learned that Avila’s girlfriend, Maira Pacheco Nuñez, 58, shot him before fleeing the scene. A short time later, an arrest warrant was issued for Pacheco Nuñez for second-degree murder with a firearm.

According to HCSO, within an hour of the arrest warrant being issued, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama spotted the 58-year-old’s vehicle and stopped the vehicle.

That’s when Pacheco Nuñez turned the gun on herself, police said.

“This is a tragic and heartbreaking situation. Our hearts ache for the family of this man whose life was tragically ended,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “Violence is never an option. To anyone facing or anyone who suspects domestic violence, please remember: help is available, and you are not alone.”

Nexstar affiliate WKRG was at the scene when Pacheco Nuñez was stopped on Interstate 10. Footage shows a heavy police presence surrounding the woman’s vehicle. The highway was shut down for several hours.

HCSO has not revealed what they believe led up to the shooting.

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