Florida man who allegedly fatally shot his child’s mother caught after sending strange texts from her phone

A Florida man allegedly shot the mother of his child in the chest, got drunk and then texted her relatives from her phone, authorities said.

On the evening of Dec. 18, a woman phoned police and requested a wellbeing check on her 31-year-old daughter after she wasn’t able to get in touch with her after receiving strange messages from her number, WPTV reported.

According to the caller, the daughter, who police have not publicly identified, had gone to a home in Boca Raton, Florida, to pick up her child.

Officers located the daughter’s car in a parking lot near the home of the child’s father, Egbert “Junior” Durity, 33. Her purse and keys were located inside.

Police searching Durity’s residence discovered the victim fatally shot in the chest in a bedroom. The suspect allegedly admitted to firing at the victim with a gun he grabbed from a nightstand, moving her car and then sending the texts from her phone as a way to buy time, police said.

Durity allegedly said the two got into a dispute over child custody and the victim’s intention to move away from Florida, The Palm Beach Post reported, citing a police report.

Officers took Durity into custody and charged him with second-degree murder with a firearm. He is being held without bail.

The victim’s child, who was not present during the homicide, was found unharmed at a relative’s home 20 miles from the crime scene.