Cops: Fla. man used crossbow to kill wife, son

WESTON, Fla. – Police say a South Florida man used a crossbow to kill his wife and teenage son in their townhouse, then drove to Tallahassee and tried to kill his older son who is a student at Florida State University.

Investigators said the assailant, Pedro Maldonado, 53, was then found dead in a Lake City motel room at around 2 a.m. Wednesday, apparently having slit his throat.

Deputies said Maldonado had called a friend to say he had killed his wife, 47-year-old Monica Narvaez-Maldonado, and younger son Pedro Jose Maldonado Jr., 17. Both had been shot with what deputies described as a handheld crossbow that fires small darts.

Authorities believe they were killed sometime Monday in their townhouse about 30 miles north of Miami. After that, they said, Maldonado drove hundreds of miles to Tallahassee and rented a motel room. Just after 7 a.m. Tuesday, he allegedly attacked his older son, 21-year-old Jose Maldonado, with the same crossbow but the dart just grazed the son's ear. Deputies say the father then tried to choke his son, but the younger Maldonado managed to escape.

CBS Miami reports Jose Maldonado did not initially tell authorities that his father had attacked him.

No information was provided about a possible motive for the rampage.

A vigil was reportedly held for the youngest victim in Weston Wednesday night.