A 37-year-old Deltona woman was critically wounded when shot multiple times early Sunday by her boyfriend, who was later found dead, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said.
Terra Wilcox called 911 at about 12:30 a.m. from her home to report that her boyfriend, 34-year-old Earl Pallasch, had broken her car’s windshield with a chainsaw, choked her and threatened her with a gun, said Gary Davidson, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman.
“The woman had walked away from the residence to make the 911 call. But about three minutes into the call, the victim started screaming that her boyfriend was coming towards her with a gun,” Davidson said. “Moments later, the sound of gunfire could be heard and the woman told the call-taker that she had been shot.”
Deputies found the bleeding woman lying in the road. Despite not knowing where the shooter was, deputies carried Wilcox to a safer area, where paramedics could treat her, Davidson said.
Wilcox was brought to Sanford’s Central Florida Regional Hospital, where she remains in critical condition.
Shortly before 1 a.m., a shot was fired toward deputies as a manhunt was underway. Five hours later, deputies found Pallasch’s body beside a shotgun in a wooded area near his home, Davidson said.
Two homes were evacuated during the incident, and residents in neighboring homes were warned to remain indoors.
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