Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
LARGO - A man known to the Sheriff's Office as a drug dealer turned himself in to authorities early Tuesday to face charges of aggravated battery in the shooting of a Largo woman.
Rudolph Winborne, 32, was arrested by deputies Tuesday in the June 3 shooting of Marilee Rothrock. State attorneys had issued a warrant for Winborne's arrest after a roommate of Rothrock's called the police and told them Winborne had shot Rothrock.
Deputies said they were under the impression that Rothrock was Winborne's mother, but could not confirm that.
Rothrock's roommate told deputies that a shooting had occurred earlier that day at the Largo apartment occupied by herself and Rothrock. Winborne and his brother, Dexereux Graves, were arguing about drugs when Winborne entered Rothrock's apartment with a rifle pointed at his brother, the witness said.
The arguing continued inside Rothrock's apartment, and Rothrock threatened to call the police if Winborne and Graves did not leave her apartment. According to police records, Winborne fired a single shot at his brother, but missed him. Rothrock was shot in the cheek and the bullet pierced the back of her head.
According to police affidavits, Winborne said to Rothrock, "I'm sorry I shot you. I meant to shoot my brother in the shoulder."
Rothrock was taken to Largo Medical Center. Her condition was unknown, but she most likely recovered, said Mac McMullen, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office spokesman. Deputies responded to the 911 call of a domestic disturbance, but Winborne had already left the scene.
State attorneys issued a warrant June 25 for Winborne's arrest. He turned himself in to sheriff's deputies about 1 a.m. Tuesday. Winborne's bail was set at $500,000. McMullen said he did not know why Winborne's bail was so high. A typical bail amount for a charge of aggravated battery is about $10,000.
Winborne has a long criminal record, mostly in Hillsborough, including drug charges in 2000 that were dismissed in court. He was arrested in Pinellas in September 2003 on a charge of aggravated assault with a firearm.