Bodycam footage has revealed the dramatic arrest of a fugitive accused of killing two individuals near the Players Championship in Florida. The arrest took place on the suspect’s birthday.
Christian Barrios, a felon, is alleged to have fatally shot his ex-girlfriend and her new partner outside a Walgreens in St. Johns County, close to the PGA Tour site, last Friday night. Following the incident, he reportedly stole a BMW and fled, prompting a manhunt.
According to video released by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, Barrios eventually crashed the vehicle and escaped into the nearby woods.
Nassau County officers tracked down Barrios, who had already been arrested 27 times and was on drug probation. They apprehended him on Saturday morning, his 32nd birthday, as he surrendered by lying on the ground with his arms outstretched, as seen in the footage released on Monday.
An officer was observed aiming a gun at Barrios’ head before another officer handcuffed him around 8 a.m., approximately 10 hours after the killings.
“I wanted to make sure that we contained that area so he wouldn’t get away,” Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper explained regarding the arrest.
Barrios is awaiting extradition to St. Johns County, where he is expected to face murder charges.
The Nassau County authorities charged him with grand theft of a motor vehicle, reckless driving, and driving with a revoked or suspended license. He also faces charges of resisting law enforcement.
Barrios remains in jail.
Reports indicate that, in the moments leading up to the murders, he “immediately and frantically” exited his car in the Walgreens parking lot to confront his ex and her new partner, as detailed in an arrest report viewed by WJXT.
The victims have not been identified.
After the shooting, Barrios allegedly confided in a friend that law enforcement would “likely kill him” if confronted.
St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick expressed his disgust, stating the crime “makes me sick to my stomach.”
Barrios was also arrested in 2020 for allegedly assaulting a woman who was nine months pregnant, according to records reviewed by WJAX-TV.
