Man claimed he shot girlfriend in the head by 'accident' after she was 'calling him names' during fight in the car, police say

A Wisconsin antheral who was charged with murdering his girlfriend aft she was recovered dormant successful different state said her decease was an "accident."

Robert Chilcote, 29, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide aft helium was apprehended connected Feb. 5, the aforesaid time his girlfriend, 24-year-old Gabriella Cartagena, was recovered dormant successful a wooded country successful Michigan. In a recently unsealed transgression ailment that was reviewed by Law&Crime, constabulary said Chilcote confessed to shooting Cartagena successful the caput portion the 2 were having a combat successful his car connected Feb. 4. He claimed that the shooting was "an accident."

Authorities believed different aft Cartagena's parent told them she heard her girl begging for her beingness connected their last telephone telephone connected Feb. 4.

According to the complaint, Chilcote made the confession portion helium was successful custody astatine the Wright County Jail successful Minnesota, wherever members of the Marinette Police Department had traveled to talk to him. He had been arrested for fleeing a bid serviceman and for being a fugitive wanted successful different state. On Feb. 9, Chilcote reportedly placed a telephone to the Marinette Police Department and said helium "was acceptable to speech more."

Chilcote allegedly stated, "It was an accident," referring to Cartagena's death, earlier his telephone was chopped off. Once they reconnected, Chilcote was work his rights and started recounting his mentation of the events of Feb. 4. First, helium told the lieutenant helium called that Cartagena's assemblage was successful Michigan, but helium "didn't privation her retired there."

Then helium was asked to speech astir what happened astatine Red Arrow Park, wherever constabulary said they recovered "frozen blood" that appeared to person been trailed from the parkland to the parking lot. Chilcote told constabulary that helium and Cartagena were successful the car, having a fight. During their argument, Chilcote said "she was calling him names" and told him to leave. He said helium "tried to scare her" with his gun, which subsequently "went off," hitting her successful the head.

As Law&Crime antecedently reported, constabulary said Cartagena's parent past saw her girl astir 5 p.m. connected Feb. 4 erstwhile she and Chilcote went market shopping. In the complaint, constabulary said erstwhile the mates did not return, Cartagena's parent called her daughter's phone. Cartagena answered, and her parent said she heard Cartagena say, "I'm sorry. Don't sprout me. I'm sorry. I didn't bash nothing." Cartagena's parent past told constabulary she heard the telephone "tussling similar it was connected the ground."

The adjacent clip she got a effect from Cartagena's telephone was astatine 7:21 p.m., erstwhile she believed her girl texted her to archer her she was successful a gathering astatine Walmart.

More from Law&Crime: 'Please don't sprout me, I'm sorry': Woman past heard pleading for her beingness successful telephone telephone to ma recovered dormant aft multistate effort to find her, constabulary say

Chilcote told constabulary helium "was frightened and panicking," and helium took her retired of the car to laic her connected the ground. He past enactment her backmost wrong the car and tossed her phone. Chilcote confirmed that the connection Cartagena's parent received from Cartagena's telephone was sent by him.

Cartagena's parent told constabulary that Chilcote came to her location astatine astir 8 p.m. and "seemed off." When she asked him wherever her girl was, helium replied that helium "dropped her disconnected astatine Walmart."

According to police, Chilcote drove Cartagena's assemblage to a wooded country successful Michigan. He past drove backmost to the Walmart wherever helium and Cartagena some worked the nighttime displacement and wherever they met six months prior.

Police said they were capable to way Chilcote's whereabouts arsenic helium clocked into his occupation astatine Walmart successful the hours aft helium said helium changeable Cartagena. According to the complaint, Chilcote was seen connected surveillance cameras entering the Walmart parking batch astatine the commencement of his 10 p.m. shift. After buying a fewer nutrient items astatine midnight, helium told his supervisors that helium was quitting "due to idiosyncratic reasons." By 12:15 a.m. connected Feb. 5, helium was leaving the Walmart parking lot.

According to the complaint, Chilcote told constabulary that helium dumped Cartagena's covering retired the car model arsenic helium drove to the spot wherever helium near her body. After pursuing the way of clothes, constabulary yet recovered Cartagena's body, which was frozen solid, connected Feb. 10. The aesculapian examiner said her origin of decease was a gunshot coiled to the head.

Chilcote was charged with first-degree intentional homicide successful Marinette County. He remains successful custody successful Minnesota's Wright County Jail. He is scheduled to look successful tribunal connected Feb. 20.