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Tag: Washington County

  • Washington County Headquarters Reopens After Emergency Plumbing Problem – KXL

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    Photo Courtesy Washington County

    HILLSBORO, Ore. – Washington County’s headquarters reopened Monday after closing for nearly three days because of emergency plumbing repairs.

    The County says around mid-morning on Wednesday, February 18th, flooding was reported in the first floor restrooms.

    It was learned that tree roots damaged the building’s connection to the main sewer line, causing a blockage beneath the sidewalk.

    The issue required an emergency shutdown of water service to the building and temporarily halted in-person services.

    A portion of the sidewalk along West Main Street will remain closed as repairs continue.

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    Grant McHill

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  • Four Arrested In Connection To January Shooting At Aloha Apartment Complex – KXL

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    WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ore. – Four people have been arrested in connection with a late-January shooting at an apartment complex in Aloha that left a 28-year-old man critically injured.

    The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says  deputies responded at 4:11 a.m. Jan. 31st to a report of a shooting at the Cedar Crest Apartments. Deputies and officers from the Beaverton Police Department found the victim inside an apartment with a gunshot wound.

    Investigators believe the shooting occurred during an armed robbery and involved multiple suspects. Detectives learned the victim had been with Yaneli Jaime, 26, shortly before the shooting.

    The suspects initially fled and were not found during an extensive search. Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Violent Crime Unit and the Washington County Major Crimes Team later executed more than 20 search warrants and conducted follow-up investigations across Oregon and Washington.

    Jaime was arrested Feb. 2 at a residence in Vancouver, Washington, and booked into the Clark County Jail.

    On Feb. 4, Diego Torres-Topete, 18, of Kennewick, Washington, was arrested by the Richland Police Department and booked into the Benton County Jail in Washington.

    On Wednesday, the United States Marshals Service arrested Arnoldo Avila, 20, and Roberto Huato, 18, in Hermiston. Both were booked into the Umatilla County Jail.

    All four suspects face charges of second-degree attempted murder and first-degree robbery.

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    Grant McHill

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  • ‘Maine Coon’ Cats In Neglect Case Looking For Loving Homes – KXL

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    Expo, pictured above, needed surgery to remove a painful, infected eye.

    PORTLAND, OR – The Oregon Humane Society is beginning the process of putting up for adoption a large group of cats rescued from neglect by Washington County Animal Services.  More than 30 cats, mostly Maine Coon, and two birds, were transferred to Oregon Humane Society after their, and the animals have been receiving extensive medical and behavior care since.

    Many of the cats were suffering from eye infections and skin issues that required surgery, medication, and other care.  The most fearful cat, Wesley, is receiving specialized care in OHS’ Behavior Modification Program.

    Recently, the suspect in this case pled guilty to 10 counts of Animal Neglect in the First Degree, and one count of Animal Neglect in the Second Degree.  The resolution of the case allows the cats and birds to go up for adoption.

    Hagrid is one of many Maine Coon cats up for adoption at the OHS Portland campus following their rescue in a Washington County neglect case.

    “This outcome is the culmination of an intense investigation by Washington County Animal Services into the neglect of these animals,” says Randy Covey, Manager, Washington County Animal Services. “We’re grateful for the partnerships we have with the Sheriff’s Office who assisted with the search warrant and OHS who provided invaluable long-term care and housing after our initial seizure, exams and evidence documentation.”

    “Caring for these cats and birds, and meeting their needs over the past four months, has required a lot of resources including assistance from our incredible foster parents,” says Dr. Steve Kochis, OHS Chief Medical Officer and Co-Interim CEO. “Costs from this case alone have exceeded $100,000. We simply cannot do this work without support from our donors.”

    Cats who are ready for adoption will be posted on OHS’ website.   Officials note that these cats are only at the OHS Portland Campus.

    All adoptions include up-to-date vaccines, spay/neuter service, microchipping, and a free exam at the OHS Community Veterinary Hospital in Portland.

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    Tim Lantz

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  • Body Parts Found in Tualatin River Identified – KXL

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    Since August 8th, 2025, Detectives with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Team (MCT) have investigated the discovery of human remains found in the Tualatin River.  A kayaker found one body part on August 8th near the boat ramp of Rood Bridge Park.  A second body part was located approximately 1 mile downriver from the first body part on August 9th.

    Detectives believed that both body parts belonged to the same person but needed DNA analysis to confirm the identity.  Detectives worked in conjunction with the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office and the Oregon State Police Crime Lab to confirm the identity of the unidentified human remains.

    The victim has been identified as 34-year-old Ezequiel Avila-Ruiz. Avila Ruiz was known to camp in multiple areas, including around Rood Bridge Park. The Oregon State Police Crime Lab was able to confirm his identity using familial DNA comparison with living relatives. Avila-Ruiz’s family has been notified and is requesting privacy at this time.

    Detectives believe Avila-Ruiz was the victim of homicide and would like to speak with anyone who has information about Avila-Ruiz’s whereabouts after he was last seen on July 31st, 2025, near SE Baseline St and South First Ave in Hillsboro at approximately 5:40 p.m.

    Please contact detectives at the Sheriff’s Office by calling the Investigations Division at (503) 846-2500, referencing Avila-Ruiz and case number 50-25-11037.

    Original Media Release: Detectives Investigate Body Parts Found in Tualatin River

    On Friday, August 8, 2025, at 5:09 p.m., Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Rood Bridge Park in Hillsboro after a recreational kayaker discovered a body part in the Tualatin River.

    Detectives from the Washington County Major Crimes Team (MCT) were dispatched to assist with the investigation, aided by searchers from several supporting teams. On August 9th, searchers discovered a second body part in the river but are not disclosing additional information at this time.

    The investigation is ongoing, and the identity of the victim has not been determined. The Medical Examiner’s office determines any information regarding the cause or manner of death.

    The Sheriff’s Office was supported by marine units, K9, a dive team, and ground searchers from the Clackamas and Columbia County Sheriff’s Offices. Searchers are continuing their efforts as additional information is discovered.

    If you have information about this incident and have not spoken to detectives, please contact the Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division at 503-846-2500, referencing case number 50-25-11037.

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    Brett Reckamp

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  • Here’s the lowdown on the attorneys assigned to represent Tyler Robinson

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    The man accused of killing Charlie Kirk will have an experienced team of lawyers representing him in the high-profile capital murder case.

    Utah County hired three attorneys to represent Tyler James Robinson after 4th District Court Judge Tony Graf found he doesn’t have the financial means to pay a lawyer.

    Salt Lake City attorney Kathryn N. Nester is the lead counsel, while Michael N. Burt and Richard G. Novak, both of California, are co-counsel. All have substantial experience in death penalty cases.

    Robinson allegedly shot Kirk with a high-powered rifle from a rooftop as the conservative political activist spoke at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. At the urging of his parents and a family friend, Robinson turned himself in to police near his home in Washington County, Utah, the next day. Authorities announced the arrest in a press conference Sept. 12.

    Robinson, 22, is charged with aggravated murder and six other crimes in connection with the fatal shooting. Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray is pursuing the death penalty.

    The county estimates the taxpayer-funded defense and prosecution of Robinson to exceed $1.3 million — $750,000 for the court-appointed lawyers and $600,000 for additional staff in the county attorney’s office.

    Well-qualified attorneys

    The Utah Rules of Criminal Procedure requires lawyers assigned to death penalty cases to meet certain criteria, including extensive experience in felony or capital cases, completing approved death penalty education and having sufficient time and resources to provide a rigorous defense. The rule calls for the court to appoint at least two attorneys in capital cases.

    Nester, Burt and Novak appear to possess those credentials, according to declarations filed in court this week.

    Nester has done criminal defense work for 33 years, appearing as lead or co-counsel in nine aggravated, felony and capital murder cases in state and federal court in Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, California and Utah. Two of them proceeded to a verdict.

    Burt has practiced law for 47 years, including as head trial attorney with the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office for 24 years. He has specialized in capital cases the past 18 years and is the editor-in-chief of the California Death Penalty Defense Manual.

    According to his court declaration, he has tried over 50 cases before a jury, including eight lengthy capital cases in state or federal courts in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Pennsylvania. He has been appointed “learned counsel” in 27 federal death penalty cases throughout the country, meaning he is an expert in that area of the law.

    Novak, according to his declaration, has practiced law since 1990, with an emphasis on criminal defense work, including capital defense for the last 20 years. He has been lead or co-counsel in over 25 death-eligible homicide cases in federal courts in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada and California, and in state court in California. He worked as a federal public defender before going into private practice.

    Nester’s office declined to comment about the case.

    Robinson’s next court hearing

    Robinson is held in the Utah County Jail without bail. A hand-written notation in a Sept. 24 court filing restricting his possession of firearms reads “high risk/suicide watch.”

    He made his initial court appearance via video conference from the jail last week wearing a suicide-prevention smock, which court officials said is standard for high-profile prisoners.

    Robinson is entitled to a preliminary hearing under Utah law, where the judge decides if the prosecution has enough evidence for a trial. An arraignment then follows in which the defendant enters either a guilty or not guilty plea to the charges.

    He is due in court Sept. 29 for a waiving hearing in which he can decide whether to give up his right to a preliminary hearing to move more quickly to the arraignment. Initially scheduled as a virtual hearing, Graf this week changed it to an in-person hearing.

    Death penalty cases in Utah

    Aggravated murder is the only offense subject to the death penalty in Utah. The law contains a list of circumstances under which prosecutors could charge a person with that offense including, “the murderer knowingly created a great risk of death to a person other than the victim and the murderer,” which what prosecutors cited in the Robinson case.

    In addition to the that case, the Utah County attorney is prosecuting one of the other two active death penalty cases in Utah.

    Michael Aaron Jayne, 42, of Garrett, Indiana, is accused of intentionally hitting and killing Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser with his semitrailer on I-15, after being pulled over for a stop sign violation last year. Jayne is charged with aggravated murder and several other felonies.

    Just last month, Ryan Michael Bate, 30, allegedly shot and killed Tremonton Police Sgt. Lee Sorensen and officer Eric Estrada when they responded to a domestic dispute at his home.

    The Box Elder County Attorney’s Office filed two counts of aggravated murder against Bate, among other felony crimes.

    There are currently four men on death row in Utah. The average length of stay on death row is about 34 years. Lethal injection is the primary method of execution in Utah but firing squad is an alternative method. Executions are carried out at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City.

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  • Wendy’s receipt, vehicle rental tie Texas brothers to east suburb kidnapping, robbery

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    Two Texas brothers have each been charged with seven felonies for an incident in an eastern Twin Cities suburb that prompted law enforcement activity near Mahtomedi High School late last week.

    Charges filed Wednesday show the men, ages 24 and 23, each face three counts of using a firearm to kidnap a person, three counts of first-degree assault during a burglary with a firearm and one count of first-degree robbery using a firearm. 

    According to the complaints, a man called 911 around 4:45 p.m. on Friday, saying he and his family had been kidnapped and were being held at gunpoint in their Grant, Minnesota, home. There, the caller’s father was forced at gunpoint to transfer at least $36,000 to an unknown cyberwallet from his accounts. 

    The caller’s father was then forced to drive to a family cabin about three hours away from their home, where another crypto wallet was kept. There, he was forced to transfer at least another $36,000 to an unknown account, the complaint states.

    The father later told investigators he believed some of his account information had been leaked during a data breach. 

    Charging documents say police searched an area around the home and found a suitcase in a tree line. Inside, the complaint says an AR-15 style rifle, as well as clothing, liquid bottles and cans plus a receipt for a Wendy’s restaurant, were found. That receipt helped track down the vehicle used at the time of purchase, leading investigators to discover it had been rented near Houston, Texas, on Sept. 16. 

    Security footage showed the same vehicle parked outside a home in Waller, Texas, where the man who rented the car lives with his brother. That same car was found parked at a motel in Roseville, Minnesota, where rooms were rented on Sept. 17 for multiple days. 

    According to the charges, the two suspects ran up to one of the victims around 7:45 a.m. on Sept. 19 as he brought a garbage can out to the street. He said both men were dressed in dark clothing, had masks on and were armed — one with a shotgun and another with an AR-15 style rifle. He was brought back to the garage, where he was tied up.  

    Then, the men entered the home and woke the other victims up and bound them, before one of the suspects held them at gunpoint in a bedroom for nine hours. That room’s door was tied shut with a wire, which had to be cut before they were freed later in the day. 

    During this time, the man who was tied up in the garage was forced to log into his cryptocurrency accounts and transfer money before driving to the cabin to transfer more funds. The 911 call was placed as the victim and suspect arrived back at the home, and the complaint says police passed the vehicle they were traveling in. The suspect, who was driving the vehicle, turned it around and parked it before running off and leaving his gun in a nearby field. 

    Meanwhile, the suspect who was inside the home left about 10 minutes before squads arrived at the scene and is caught on camera running out a back door to a nearby hiking trail. 

    One of the brothers is seen driving up to the hotel they were staying at shortly after. The vehicle was tracked through GPS data, and investigators say it traveled to and from Minnesota and Texas between Sept. 16-20, and that it was near the victim’s home and near the Roseville motel. 

    The vehicle was stopped on Sept. 20 in Oklahoma, the charges say, and one of the brothers said his AR-15 had been reported as stolen on Sept. 22. The serial number on the gun’s box, found during a search of his home, matched the one found in Minnesota. The other gun used during the incident is registered to the same brother, according to the complaint.

    The documents say both men are in custody on a 48-hour hold in Texas. The complaints filed for each man ask that they be brought back to Minnesota for a court appearance. 

    Activity from law enforcement agencies searching for the brothers last week caused Mahtomedi High School to cancel its homecoming football game. Bloomington’s Kennedy High School on Monday forfeited its scheduled game against Mahtomedi.

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    Krystal Frasier

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  • Homes in Washington County sold for higher prices recently: See how much here

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    Newly released data from Realtor.com for May shows that potential buyers and sellers in Washington County saw higher home sale prices than the previous month’s median of $437,500.

    The median home sold for $491,312, an analysis of data from Realtor.com shows. That means May, the most recent month for which figures are available, was up 12.3% from April.

    Compared to May 2024, the median home sales price was up 3% compared to $477,200.

    Realtor.com sources sales data from real estate deeds, resulting in a few months’ delay in the data. The statistics don’t include homes currently listed for sale and aren’t directly comparable to listings data.

    Information on your local housing market, along with other useful community data, is available at data.thespectrum.com.

    Here is a breakdown on median sale prices:

    • Looking only at single-family homes, the $521,355 median selling price in Washington County was down 2.9% in May from $536,875 the month prior. Since May 2024, the sales price of single-family homes was slightly up from a median of $516,809.Nine single family homes sold for $1 million or more during the month, compared to 12 recorded transactions of at least $1 million in May 2024.

    • Condominiums and townhomes increased by 8.4% in sales price during May to a median of $387,375 from $357,500 in April. Compared to May 2024, the sales price of condominiums and townhomes was slightly down from $390,325. Ten condominiums or townhomes sold for $1 million or more during the month, compared to four recorded transactions of at least $1 million in May 2024.

    About recorded home sales in Washington County in Utah

    In May, the number of recorded sales in Washington County dropped by 7.5% since May 2024 — from 547 to 506. All residential home sales totaled $177.2 million.

    Across Utah, homes sold at a median of $492,081 during May, a slight decrease from $494,772 in April. There were 4,700 recorded sales across the state during May, up 1.1% from 4,648 recorded sales in May 2024.

    Here’s a breakdown for the full state:

    • The total value of recorded residential home sales in Utah increased by 13.3% from $1.6 billion in April to $1.8 billion this May.

    • Out of all residential home sales in Utah, 4.72% of homes sold for at least $1 million in May, up from 3.7% in May 2024.

    • Sales prices of single-family homes across Utah slightly decreased from a median of $525,000 in April to $524,698 in May. Since May 2024, the sales price of single-family homes across the state was slightly down from $525,466.

    • Across the state, the sales price of condominiums and townhomes slightly rose from a median of $382,798 in April to $385,673 during May. The median sales price of condominiums and townhomes is slightly up from the median of $386,832 in May 2024.

    The median home sales price used in this report represents the midway point of all the houses or units listed over the given period of time. The median offers a more accurate view of what’s happening in a market than the average sales price, which would mean taking the sum of all sales prices then dividing by the number of homes sold. The average can be skewed by one particularly low or high sale.

    The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Realtor.com. Please leave any feedback or corrections for this story here. This story was written by Ozge Terzioglu. Our News Automation and AI team would like to hear from you. Take this survey and share your thoughts with us.

    This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Homes in Washington County sold for higher prices recently: See how much here

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  • St. Croix River flooding impacting homes and businesses in Minnesota, Wisconsin

    St. Croix River flooding impacting homes and businesses in Minnesota, Wisconsin

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    ST. CROIX RIVER, Minn. —  Flooding is impacting towns along the St. Croix River, with Washington County declaring a state of emergency on Friday.

    As of Saturday afternoon, the St. Croix River is at just under 88 feet at Stillwater, near what’s considered moderate flood stage, with the water continuing to rise. A crest is anticipated for Monday at just over 88 feet.  

    A little flooding is the price Steve Blake pays for a front row view of the St. Croix River from his Bayport home.

    Water is currently at a 1.5 feet inside his garage, Blake said.   

    “Ranges anywhere from a couple inches to there was one year we had about six feet in our garage. That point, I was kind of worried about losing my house,” said Blake.         

    He’s not the only one dealing with high water Saturday, so are several of his neighbors. Some have placed orange netting over garage openings to help keep out floating debris, like trees.

    raw-sat-hudson-flooding-broll-durenberger-rantala.jpg

    WCCO


    There’s a four-foot flood wall protecting Blake’s home, but you’ll have to take his word for it, since it’s somewhere underwater.

    “We’re meant to flood in and out, they’re built this way and so the water comes and goes. It’s just a matter of clean up. It’s a bit of a pain in the butt,” said Blake.     

    Across the border in Hudson, Wisc., flooding has taken over the Hudson waterfront.

    “This is probably one of the worst I’ve ever seen,” said Jay Langer.

    For 26 years, Langer has owned Ink Factory Tattoos. He’s been keeping tabs on the encroaching water, taking pictures of if it since mid-week.

    “I’ve seen it worse once and that was in 1998,” said Langer.

    To make matters worse, Langer said the flooding is hurting not only his business, but also neighboring businesses. It’s hurt his walk in traffic, he said.

    “I just hope that none of these buildings go under,” said Langer.

    For now, Langer said he’s just taking it day by day, keeping a watchful eye on the water.

    “It is what it is. You live in the valley, you’ve got to deal with it,” said Langer. 

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    Jason Rantala

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  • A ‘catfishing’ cop killed three family members. A relative is suing the sheriff’s office that gave him a badge

    A ‘catfishing’ cop killed three family members. A relative is suing the sheriff’s office that gave him a badge

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    Relatives of the Riverside family killed by “catfish” cop Austin Lee Edwards nearly a year ago filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Virginia sheriff’s office that hired him.

    Edwards, a former Virginia state trooper then employed by the Washington County, Va., sheriff’s office, killed Mark Winek, 69; Sharie Winek, 65; and Brooke Winek 38, in their Riverside home on the morning of Nov. 25, according to authorities. He set fire to their home and kidnapped Brooke’s then-15-year-old daughter. Police said Edwards, 28, “catfished” the girl by telling her during previous online conversations that he was 17.

    In a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Central California, the teen’s aunt, Mychelle Blandin, sued the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Edwards’ estate for damages, citing violation of 4th Amendment rights, battery and negligent hiring, supervision and retention, among other allegations. Blandin, who is the guardian of the 15-year-old’s younger sister, has also sued on behalf of the younger child, and is seeking unspecified financial compensation.

    After kidnapping the teen, Edwards drove into the Mojave Desert with the girl, where he died in a confrontation with law enforcement. Police initially said he was killed in a shootout but later said he died of a self-inflicted gunshot with his service weapon. The girl wasn’t physically uninjured.

    “Our law enforcement agencies and their process for screening new hires must be held to the highest standards,” Alison Saros, an attorney for Blandin, said in a news release. “These individuals are meant to protect us, but the Sheriff’s Office failed to follow the proper processes. Sadly, the Winek family has suffered irreparable tragedy.”

    A memorial stands out in the darkness at the home where three family members were murdered Nov. 25, 2022, in Riverside.

    (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

    The Washington County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The Times previously reported that Edwards told the Virginia State Police during his application process that he was detained for psychiatric evaluation and went to a mental health facility in 2016, showing that the agency knew about his mental health issues. This visit led to two custody orders, which typically allow law enforcement to take someone into custody and transport them for mental health evaluation, and a judge revoking his gun ownership rights.

    Col. Gary Settle, the state police superintendent, wrote in a letter to the state’s inspector general after the slayings that Edwards’ admission wouldn’t have automatically disqualified him from being hired, but should have prompted Virginia State Police to investigate further.

    “Unfortunately, the error allowed him to be employed, as there were no other disqualifiers,” Settle wrote.

    After resigning from Virginia State Police after nine months, Edwards applied to work at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. He used his father and a close friend as references in his application. He was hired as a patrol deputy nine days before he killed the Wineks.

    In a statement after the slayings, Washington County Sheriff Blake Andis said that Edwards had started orientation at his agency and that none of Edwards’ prior employers had disclosed any red flags.

    Mychelle Blandin holds a photo of her mom and dad that were killed.

    Mychelle Blandin (center) is comforted by her friend Tammy Porter (left) and her husband, Ben Blandin, as she holds a photo of her mom and dad. Mychelle Blandin’s parents and sister were victims of a triple homicide in Riverside that authorities say began with a “catfishing” case involving Blandin’s niece.

    (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

    “It is shocking and sad to the entire law enforcement community that such an evil and wicked person could infiltrate law enforcement while concealing his true identity as a computer predator and murderer,” Andis said.

    During the murders, police believe Edwards presented his badge to Sharie and Mark Winek and told them he was there for an investigation in order to lure Brooke Winek and her 15-year-old daughter back to the Riverside home, The Times previously reported.

    He put bags over the heads of Sharie and Mari Winek, who both died from asphyxiation, according to their coroner’s reports also included with the lawsuit. Edwards then stabbed Brooke Winek, who died from a wound to her spinal cord, according to her coroner’s report.

    “Edwards never should have been hired by the Sheriff’s Department. He was barred by the courts from owning or possessing a gun because of his mental illness and because he was a clear danger to the community,” said David Ring, Blandin’s attorney. “He used his position as a sheriff’s deputy and the gun they gave him to kill these innocent victims.”

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    Summer Lin, Erin B. Logan

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  • Maryland judge shot to death at Hagerstown home; suspect’s SUV found

    Maryland judge shot to death at Hagerstown home; suspect’s SUV found

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    Maryland judge shot to death at Hagerstown home; suspect’s SUV found


    Maryland judge shot to death at Hagerstown home; suspect’s SUV found

    02:00

    BALTIMORE — Law enforcement officers are searching the area where a silver Mercedes belonging to a man suspected of gunning down a Washington County judge was found on Saturday, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

    A Maryland resident came across the vehicle in a wooded area of Williamsport, Maryland. Investigators said during a press conference that the vehicle belonging to suspect Pedro Argote may have been there since Friday—or possibly even Thursday.

    The area search is being conducted before the vehicle is searched to ensure that Argote is no longer around. Investigators do not believe that the community in Williamsport or the surrounding areas are at risk, but they are being asked to avoid the search zone, Washington County Sheriff Brian Albert said.

    Investigators planned to tow the Mercedes to a secure place before searching it, Albert said.

    “We have a warrant. So, we’re going to wait until we clear the area and it’s not an active scene, and then we’ll tow the vehicle to a secure area for search warrants,” Albert said. “You know, we’ll pull the computer, GPSs from it, and then the contents if we find anything in the vehicle.”

    The Maryland judge fatally shot Thursday night outside his home in Hagerstown presided over Argote’s divorce case, according to court records. 

    Andrew Wilkinson, 52, was found shot on his driveway on Olde Waterford Road around 8 p.m., the Washington County Sheriff’s office said. 

    Wilkinson was taken to Meritus Medical Center, where he died, officials said. A homicide investigation is underway.  

    “It is horrible. It is a horrifying loss — it’s hard to lose someone like that,” neighborhood resident Susan Porter said.

    Argote is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who knows his location is asked not to approach him but to immediately call 911. 

    Argote is described as 5’7″, 130 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He may be driving a silver 2009 Mercedes GL450 SUV with Maryland tags 4EH0408.

    Media Release: UPDATED INFORMATION: HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION

    The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is searching for the…

    Posted by Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland on Friday, October 20, 2023

    Court records show that Argote was named in a domestic violence petition in June 2022. It was dismissed at the request of the person who asked for it.   

    Wilkinson was a Washington County Circuit Court Associate Judge. He presided over a hearing Thursday morning in Argote’s divorce case, which was filed last summer, according to court records. Officials said Argote was not at the hearing. 

    A motive in the shooting was not immediately clear, so Maryland State Police deployed troopers to protect judges living in Washington County “out of precautionary reasons.” Police said Friday morning the shooting appeared to be targeted. 

    Some of Wilkinson’s neighbors did not want to appear on camera but did express their sorrow over his death

    “You wake up and you think that you’re going to go to bed that night. You have a husband and now you don’t. You have a dad but now you don’t. Guns — I just do not understand,” Porter said.

    Washington County deputies confirmed that Wilkinson’s wife and child were inside their Hagerstown home at the time of the shooting. They were not harmed. 

    The U.S. Marshals Service is hoping to expedite the search for Argote by offering a reward of $10,000 for information that leads to his arrest.

    He is believed to have ties to multiple places outside of Maryland, including, Brooklyn and Long Island in New York; Tampa and Clearwater in Florida; Columbus; and Indiana. He has ties to unknown cities in North Carolina, too, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    The Maryland Judiciary said it is mourning Wilkinson’s “tragic death.”

    “As we grieve his loss, we ask that you keep the Wilkinson family in your prayers and please respect their privacy,” the system said in a statement Friday. “The Maryland Judiciary is actively engaging with law enforcement to assist in resolving this matter and to ensure the safety of our judges, staff, and visitors, which remains our top priority.”

    Judge Andrew Wilkinson 

    Washington County Bar Association


    A profile of Wilkinson on the circuit court’s website says he was born in Guam in 1971 and later attended the University of North Carolina before getting his law degree at Emory University. He coached several youth sports leagues in the area and had been a member of the St. Ann Catholic Church since 1985. 

    Previously, Judge Wilkinson was an Assistant Washington County Attorney from 2006 to 2012, and a member of the Character Committee of the State Board of Law Examiners from 2006 to 2019. He joined the court in January 2020. 

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