Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Friday, April 26, 2024 74° Today's Paper


Top News

Fugitive evading arrest warrant kills officer

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. >> A fugitive trying to evade an arrest warrant shot a Tarpon Springs police officer and then ran him over early Sunday, killing the officer, police said.

Marco Antonio Parilla Jr., 23, crashed his car into a pole and another vehicle after running over Officer Charles Kondek, 45. Parilla was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder. 

The shooting did not appear to have any connection to the ambush killings of two New York police officers a day earlier.

Authorities said Kondek responded to a noise call around 2 a.m. at an apartment complex. Parilla was pounding on doors, looking for a neighbor who "dimed him out" to police, authorities said. When Parilla saw Kondek, he fired multiple rounds at the officer, striking him once.

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, Parilla served more than two years in prison for several offenses, including drug charges, and was released in March. He was listed as a fugitive for violating his probation.

Police said Parilla told investigators that when he saw the officer he "felt like a caged rat" and didn’t want to return to prison. 

Comments are closed.