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Jealous Man Shoots Ex-Girlfriend, Kills Boyfriend

Posted: 5:12 am EDT August 4, 2008Updated: 10:34 am EDT August 4, 2008

A woman who was shot and left to die on the side of a busy Orange County road was under heavy police guard. Investigators said the victim's jealous ex-boyfriend opened fire on her and another man along SR-429, just south of SR-441 Sunday night.


SLIDESHOW: Images From The Scene

Hector Maldonado, 22, was shot and killed late Sunday night on SR-429 while driving with his girlfriend, 22-year-old Elizabeth Meraz. She was seriously hurt, but survived. Police believe the shooter is the father of her child, 26-year-old Erik Mota. Family members believe he shot the couple simply because he was jealous they were dating.

"He's going to pay for that. They are going to catch him. Yeah, I think they are going to catch him," said family friend Raquel Lopez.

Police closed the southbound lanes of SR-429 late Saturday night as they collected evidence and processed the scene. Bullet holes covered the couple's SUV. Investigators warned family members to watch out for Mota because they believe he may try to kill again.

"It is extremely important that we find this person so he can't cause this much violence and danger to any other human being," said Steven Popp of the Apopka Police Department.

Maldonado's mother has not stopped crying since she left the hospital. She brought her family to the United States from Mexico for a better life, only to have her son gunned down. The family hopes someone recognizes Mota from his picture and tells police where he may be hiding.

According to police, Mota does not have a listed address and his driver's license has a post office box in Zellwood.

The victim's family believes he may trying to escape to Mexico.

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