Florida man kills wife and son with crossbow, then slits throat

By Ed Payne, CNN

December 5, 2013 -- Updated 0735 GMT (1535 HKT)

Police investigate after a man killed his wife and son with a crossbow.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Authorities say Pedro Maldonado killed his wife and son with a crossbow
• He then drove 460 milles to Tallahassee in an attempt to kill his other son
• Maldonado later called a friend, admitting to killing two family members
• He took his life in a Lake City hotel room, authorities say

(CNN) -- A South Florida man killed his wife and son with a crossbow, drove 460 miles to try and kill his other son, and then slit his own throat.

The violent, long-distance rampage took Pedro Maldonado Sr. from one end of the state to the other.

While the Broward County Sheriff's Office continues to piece together a time line, detectives believe Maldonado shot and killed his 47-year-old wife, Monica Narvaez-Maldonado, and their 17-year-old son, Pedro Maldonado Jr., with a crossbow in their Weston townhouse sometime on Monday. Weston is located about 13 miles west of Fort Lauderdale.

The sheriff's report says Maldonado, 53, then drove about 460 miles north to Tallahassee in an attempt to kill his older son, José Maldonado, who attends Florida State University.

"His dad did try to shoot him with the same handheld crossbow and the arrow hit Jose's ear," Dani Moschella, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's department, told CNN affiliate WSVN. "Then his father tried to choke him, and José luckily was able to get away."

José Maldonado never reported the attack to police, but it was his father's confession to a friend on Tuesday that set authorities on his trail.

The Broward Sheriff's report says Pedro Maldonado called a friend in Miami and admitted to killing his wife and son. A short time later, authorities found their bodies in the South Florida townhouse.

Later in the day, authorities learned that Maldonado might be in the Lake City area, about 100 miles east of Tallahassee. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office found his SUV at a hotel.

After trying to contact Maldonado for hours, they entered his room and found him dead early Wednesday. He slit his own throat, authorities said.

"I knew them. They were good neighbors. I never heard anything from the house -- no screaming, no fighting, nothing," neighbor Ana Maldonado, who is not related to the family, told WSVN. "Terrible. I don't see why parents have to get the kids involved. If you have a problem, solve it.

"Do what he did far away, by himself, but leave the family alone."

CNN's Carma Hassan contributed to this report.

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Don't make khat a class-C drug, MPs urge government

UK Politics

Birmingham Somali community leader 'backs khat ban'

The government should reverse its decision to ban the herb khat because it "has not been taken on the basis of evidence or consultation", MPs say.

Home Secretary Theresa May wants to re-grade the plant, a stimulant popular among Yemeni and Somali communities, as a class-C drug.
But the Home Affairs Committee say this is contrary to scientific advice that it causes no social or medical harm.
The UK could become a khat-trafficking hub if it is not banned, ministers say.
The home secretary announced in July that the plant would be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
This came after the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs concluded in January that it should not be banned, as there was "insufficient evidence" it caused health problems.
'Potential friction' The government's Frank drugs advice website warns that khat, which is said to give users a feeling of alertness and happiness, can also cause insomnia, high blood pressure and constipation and suppress the appetite.
But the Home Affairs Committee's chairman, Labour MP Keith Vaz criticised the government's stance, saying: "It is extremely worrying that such an important decision has not been taken on the basis of evidence or consultation.
"The expert Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs conducted a thorough review of the evidence and concluded that no social or medical harm resulted from the use of khat. We support the advisory council's findings."
Mr Vaz said the best solution would be to introduce a licensing system for importers as a "middle way" between unregulated trade and an outright ban.
He added: "The UK should not become a hub for the distribution of illegal khat. It is wrong to place legal importers in the impossible position of choosing between a life of potential hardship or one of crime.
"It is baffling that potential friction, between already disadvantaged communities and the police, has not been fully considered."
Mr Vaz also warned that a ban in the UK could result in an increase in membership of the Somali militant group al-Shabab among young men previously employed in the khat trade.
About 2,560 tonnes of khat, worth £13.8m, was imported to the UK in 2011-12.
It is already banned in most of Europe and in a number of other countries, including the US and Canada.
Mrs May announced her decision to ban it in July, saying that, otherwise, the UK risked "becoming a single, regional hub for the illegal onward trafficking".
People caught in possession of a class-C drug can be sentenced to up to two years in prison and face an unlimited fine. Dealing or supplying can mean up to 14 years in jail.

Related Stories

• Kenya appeals to UK not to ban khat
• Herbal stimulant khat to be banned

Don't make khat a class-C drug, MPs urge government

Birmingham Somali community leader 'backs khat ban'

Continue reading the main story

Related Stories

• Kenya appeals to UK not to ban khat
• Herbal stimulant khat to be banned

The government should reverse its decision to ban the herb khat because it "has not been taken on the basis of evidence or consultation", MPs say.

Home Secretary Theresa May wants to re-grade the plant, a stimulant popular among Yemeni and Somali communities, as a class-C drug.
But the Home Affairs Committee say this is contrary to scientific advice that it causes no social or medical harm.
The UK could become a khat-trafficking hub if it is not banned, ministers say.
The home secretary announced in July that the plant would be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
This came after the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs concluded in January that it should not be banned, as there was "insufficient evidence" it caused health problems.
'Potential friction' The government's Frank drugs advice website warns that khat, which is said to give users a feeling of alertness and happiness, can also cause insomnia, high blood pressure and constipation and suppress the appetite.
But the Home Affairs Committee's chairman, Labour MP Keith Vaz criticised the government's stance, saying: "It is extremely worrying that such an important decision has not been taken on the basis of evidence or consultation.
"The expert Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs conducted a thorough review of the evidence and concluded that no social or medical harm resulted from the use of khat. We support the advisory council's findings."
Mr Vaz said the best solution would be to introduce a licensing system for importers as a "middle way" between unregulated trade and an outright ban.
He added: "The UK should not become a hub for the distribution of illegal khat. It is wrong to place legal importers in the impossible position of choosing between a life of potential hardship or one of crime.
"It is baffling that potential friction, between already disadvantaged communities and the police, has not been fully considered."
Mr Vaz also warned that a ban in the UK could result in an increase in membership of the Somali militant group al-Shabab among young men previously employed in the khat trade.
About 2,560 tonnes of khat, worth £13.8m, was imported to the UK in 2011-12.
It is already banned in most of Europe and in a number of other countries, including the US and Canada.
Mrs May announced her decision to ban it in July, saying that, otherwise, the UK risked "becoming a single, regional hub for the illegal onward trafficking".
People caught in possession of a class-C drug can be sentenced to up to two years in prison and face an unlimited fine. Dealing or supplying can mean up to 14 years in jail.