Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Maryland law enforcement is looking for a 49-year-old man in connection with the shooting death of a Washington County judge on Thursday.
Pedro Argote lost custody of his children to his ex-wife during a divorce hearing overseen by Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, 52, hours before the judge was shot to death. Wilkinson signed an order stripping Argote of all contact and visitation with the children.
Argote also was to pay the mother child support of $1,120 a month for their four minor children, according to the judgment. Authorities now believe the ruling may have been the motivation for the shooting.
Wilkinson was shot in the driveway of his home in Hagerstown, Md., while his family was inside the home. Authorities said Argote should be considered armed and dangerous.
Wilkinson died after deputies called at about 8 p.m. for a reported shooting found him suffering from gunshot wounds in the driveway of his home.
Authorities said the judge was transported to Meritus Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.
"This continues to be an active investigation; due to the ongoing investigation, certain details will not be released," the sheriff's office said in a brief statement published to Facebook.
A native of Guam, Wilkinson has been an associate judge with the Washington County Circuit Court, 4th Judicial Circuit, since January 2020, according to his official biography.
