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Girlfriend of man who killed Orange County deputy now charged with murder

ORLANDO, Fla. — The girlfriend of a man who shot and killed an Orange County deputy earlier this year is now facing first-degree murder charges in addition to burglary and grand theft charges.

Investigators said Deputy Jonathan Scott Pine, 34, was responding to reports of car break-ins on Westminster Abbey Boulevard in Windermere when he confronted 28-year-old Benjamin Holtermann, who was armed and tried to run away from the deputy.

According to officials, Pine chased the suspect through nearby backyards but Holtermann opened fire, shooting and killing the deputy.

Holtermann’s girlfriend, 19-year-old Erica Pugh, was with him and in the neighborhood at the time of the shooting, authorities said.

On Thursday, Pugh faced a judge who read through her charges. She's being held on a no bond status.

Authorities said Pugh admitted she was with Holtermann on a crime spree that included a robbery, vehicle theft and car break-ins.

Court records show she was in a stolen car and then drove off when neighbors first confronted Holtermann, but she had been texting her boyfriend when Pine was chasing him through yards inside the gated community.

Investigators said Pugh was taken into custody a short time later.

Holtermann committed suicide in the neighborhood a short time after the shooting, officials said.