Atlanta ‘Most Wanted’ suspect tied to club owner’s death arrested in Florida

One of Atlanta police’s “Top 10 Most Wanted” suspects was arrested Wednesday in Florida in the shooting death of a nightclub co-owner, officials said.

Jonathan Soto, 43, remained at the jail in Jacksonville on Thursday morning and, according to online records, faces a charge of murder. Since 2023, he has been wanted in the death of Michael Gidewon, who police previously said was gunned down outside the Republic Lounge, a club he owned with his brother.

Atlanta police said Soto was located through “investigative technology,” though they did not reveal exactly what was used to track him. Details were then shared with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, which executed an arrest warrant and took Soto into custody.

On Feb. 4, 2023, gunfire rang out outside the Republic Lounge at 990 Brady Ave. Atlanta police said officers were dispatched around 6:50 a.m. and discovered an unresponsive man with a gunshot wound to the head. The victim, later identified as 50-year-old Gidewon, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Several 911 calls released painted a chaotic scene. In one call, a woman said she stepped out of the lounge and immediately noticed the injured victim. At that point, the woman said the man was still breathing.

At least three of the callers said a suspect was seen walking away from the scene. Two of them gave detailed descriptions.

Soto was identified by police as the accused gunman a few days later.

In an emotional letter shared on social media in the days after the killing, the victim’s brother and lounge co-owner, Alex Gidewon, wrote about Soto, whom he called “Sodo” in the message. He shared that Soto had been around him for more than 20 years, that he saw him as family and that Soto knew his brother’s wife and kids.