A newly-filed criminal complaint is revealing disturbing new details in the death of 24-year-old Gabriella Cartagena, whose body was found in the woods just over the Michigan state line last week.
Her boyfriend, 29-year-old Robert Chilcote, is now charged with first-degree intentional homicide. According to court documents, the two left Cartagena’s home around 5 p.m. on February 4th to get juice and never returned. Nearly two hours later, Cartagena’s mother received a phone call.
She told police she heard scuffling, and her daughter saying, “I’m sorry. Don’t shoot me. I didn’t do nothing,” before the line went dead. About twenty minutes later, Cartagena’s mother received a text message claiming she was at Walmart in a meeting. Investigators later determined Cartagena was never there.
Just after 8 p.m., the complaint states Chilcote returned to the home alone, saying they had argued and he came to collect his belongings. At 10 p.m., surveillance shows him clocking in at Walmart, spending several minutes at the trunk of his car before entering. He then quit his job shortly after, citing personal reasons.
Cartagena was reported missing the next morning. Investigators say her phone location placed her at Red Arrow Park, where blood was later found along a trail toward the dock. Surveillance reportedly shows a red Prius, similar to Chilcote’s, entering and leaving the nearby boat launch twice before heading north toward Michigan.
Authorities say Chilcote then fled across Wisconsin into Minnesota, where deputies attempted a traffic stop. The complaint states he led officers on a chase exceeding 100 miles per hour, at one point swerving toward a deputy deploying stop sticks, coming within feet of hitting him.
The vehicle eventually crashed into a snowbank, and Chilcote was arrested. Investigators say a loaded AR-15-style rifle was found within reach in the passenger seat. While in custody, the complaint alleges Chilcote told police he argued with Cartagena, tried to scare her with the gun, and the weapon went off. He then admitted to driving her to Michigan and dragging her body into the woods near Birch Creek Road. An autopsy later confirmed Cartagena died from a gunshot wound to the head. Chilcote remains in Minnesota awaiting extradition.
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