On the final day of his life, Jonathan Mauk bought right into a fender bender within the car parking zone of the Walmart in Highland, an accident that might in any other case be of little consequence.
As an alternative, it ended along with his loss of life, a murder that has police and relations looking for a motive to what seems to be a mindless killing.
The 59-year-old father of three and automobile fanatic visited the Walmart on Feb. 5 to purchase substances to make beef jerky, utilizing a dehydrator that he obtained from certainly one of his sons.
He pulled as much as the low cost retailer round 8 p.m. in his 1998 Chevrolet Camaro Supersport, however earlier than he entered the shop, he reversed right into a pink Toyota Camry, in response to the San Bernardino Police Division.
Mauk bought out of the automobile and tried to apologize to the girl he hit, who additionally bought out of her automobile.
The lady was “upset,” police stated.
“He felt accountable and began apologizing, and the opposite driver circled and shot him within the face,” stated Matthew Mauk, one of many sufferer’s three sons, who has spoken with detectives on the case.
She fired a single shot from a 9-millimeter gun, bought again in her automobile and drove off, in response to police. Mauk died on the scene.
Responding cops spoke with witnesses and gathered video surveillance that helped them determine Shawntece Norton, 37, because the suspect within the taking pictures.
The subsequent day, lower than 12 hours later, police arrested Norton, a former L.A. resident dwelling in San Bernardino on the 26000 block of Base Line Avenue, in response to police. She was charged with homicide with a firearm enhancement and is being held with out bail, in response to jail information.
Police executed a search warrant on her condominium and located an unregistered 9-millimeter firearm. Ballistics testing confirmed the firearm was used within the taking pictures on the Walmart, police stated.
“It’s a horrible state of affairs. We consider this to be an remoted incident. Our coronary heart breaks for the household however we’re grateful for the response of our officers and investigators,” San Bernardino Police Division Capt. Nelson Carrington stated in an interview.
Carrington stated the division was flummoxed by the taking pictures and couldn’t present motive for why Norton, who’s a mom, may need dedicated the crime. Police might solely discover a prison report of a petty theft conviction in opposition to her in 2013.
Mauk’s killing over a minor crash left his household reeling and looking for solutions.
“It’s heartbreaking watching my complete household fully disintegrate,” stated Matthew. “All of our lives had been modified straight away without end, nothing will ever be the identical. My dad was closely concerned in our lives in each side. Not having him there may be past phrases.”
For now there are few solutions. Norton pleaded not responsible to the homicide cost and denied the firearm enhancement. She is due again in courtroom for a listening to Thursday.
In 2020, Norton filed a lawsuit in opposition to Harbor-UCLA Medical Heart for malpractice. The lawsuit is handwritten and consists of solely eight written phrases.
“Schizophrenia placed on report. Issues respiratory & sleeping & consuming,” she scrawled within the authorized doc.
She didn’t specify what providers the hospital had supplied her. The swimsuit was dismissed.
Norton additionally had utilized quite a few occasions for licenses as a safety guard, in response to public information, most lately in 2020, although all her licenses had been both expired or suspended, in response to California’s Bureau of Safety & Investigative Companies.
She additionally had a allow for a baton, a self-defense weapon, that was suspended, although the bureau didn’t clarify why.
Norton’s son denied that his mom shot Mauk, however declined to reply questions on his mom’s historical past.
“She didn’t shoot him. She is gun-free,” Kevin Norton stated in an interview. “She’s simply the most effective mother and she or he did her greatest and she or he been attempting.”
Matthew Mauk hopes Norton will face justice for the killing.
“I simply suppose it’s vital to know that what transpired is unacceptable. I count on justice to be served,” he stated.
