A Florida man has been arrested for murder for allegedly shooting his girlfriend in the head at a shooting range as part of a botched suicide-pact.
Alec Almanzar, 23, had put his head next to Ayadalis Chalas’ and pulled the trigger in the hope the bullet would kill them both, police said.
But the bullet that killed Chalas, 21, only injured Almanzar who was taken to hospital. He has since been arrested, Holly Hill police Lt. Chris Yates told the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
The couple had visited the Hot Shot Shooting Range in Holly Hill back on October 7 and rented a 9mm Glock handgun.
‘Basically, they just put their heads together and he shot into her head,’ Yates said on Thursday. ‘The bullet went through her head into his head.’
Pictured: Ayadalis Chalas, 21, was fatally shot, allegedly by her boyfriend Alec Almanzar, as the two visited a shooting range in Florida in October
Pictured: the Hot Shot Shooting Range in Holly Hill, Florida, the site of an alleged botched suicide pact between Almanzar and Chalas
A safety sign is posted at the shooting range as police investigate the fatal shooting of Ayadalis Chalas, 21
Almanzar was hospitalized at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, until December 15. Once discharged, he left for New York with his family.
He was extradited back to Florida last week and brought back to Volusia County, Yates said.
Almanzar was charged with second-degree murder with a firearm in the death of his Chalas.
He was being held without bail in the Volusia County Branch Jail on Thursday.
‘They (Almanzar and his family) knew that the charges were coming down,’ Yates said.
Chalas, pictured, was found dead on arrival, with her her back on the floor, when authorities arrived to the shooting range on October 7
Chalas, pictured, could be seen in surveillance footage paying with her credit card before the two headed to Lane No. 7, where the shooting reportedly occurred
‘Now he is back in our custody and will be facing the charges.’
A reason behind the alleged suicide pact was not immediately given, as a suicide note was not found at the scene of the crime.
Surveillance video from the shooting range obtained via a warrant request that day shows the couple as they requested two targets and received ear and eye protection, along with a box of ammunition, prior to heading to the designated shooting lanes.
Chalas could be seen paying with her credit card before the two headed to Lane No. 7, where the shooting reportedly occurred.
The video footage showed Almanzar talking to Chalas as he loaded the firearm and then fired at the targets one at a time, according to the report.
Pictured: the location of Holly Hill, Florida, where a man was arrested for murder in connection to his girlfriend’s shooting death months after an alleged botched suicide pact
Police investigating the crime scene of a shooting death at a Holly Hill shooting range back in October
Almanzar initially positioned his head so that the right side of his face was touching the left side of Chalas’ head before pulling the trigger, however the gun misfired.
He reportedly was then seen on surveillance video checking the gun and looking at Chalas, before firing three shots at the target.
Moments later, Almanzar shot into Chalas’ head with his head adjacent to hers, Yates added.
Chalas was found dead on arrival, with her her back on the floor, when authorities arrived shortly thereafter, while Almanzar was discovered sitting in a chair and holding a compress to his head, according to investigators.
