Police still searching for suspect in killing of Maryland judge

Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Authorities continued to search on Monday for a 49-year-old man who is the prime suspect in the shooting death of a Maryland judge overseeing his divorce case last week.

Officials said they did not believe that the suspect, Pedro Argote, was still in the area where a vehicle belonging to him was found abandoned.

The U.S. Marshals Service said they believe Argote has ties to Brooklyn and Long Island in New York, Tampa and Clearwater in Florida, Columbus, Ind., and other cities in North Carolina.

On Sunday, the Washington County, Md., Sheriff's office said they had concluded a search of Williamsport, Md., after sheriff's deputies found silver 2009 Mercedes GL 450 SUV linked to him. and believed he had left the immediate area.

The town is about 8 miles southwest of Hagerstown, Md., where authorities believe Argote shot and killed Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson inside his home just hours after granting Argote's estranged wife custody of the couple's four minor children in a divorce proceeding.

U.S. Marshals offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Argote's arrest, as 5-foot-7 and 130 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.