Judge denies bond for man accused of killing wife, fleeing from deputies
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - A man accused of shooting and killing his wife before barricading himself in his truck with a gun Sunday evening is being held in jail without bond.
John Schmalz-Riedt, 65, faced a judge Monday wearing an anti-suicide blue smock. He's charged with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
What we know:
His arrest followed a multi-agency effort that included a statewide BOLO, a vehicle pursuit, and a three-hour SWAT standoff.
The Volusia Sheriff's Office provided the following details leading up to Schmalz-Riedt's arrest.
BOLO for homicide suspect
VSO deputies received a Be on the Lookout for Schmalz-Riedt – who was identified by the Altamonte Springs Police Department as a suspect in a homicide investigation. Police confirmed Schmaltz-Riedt was a person of interest in the shooting death of his wife, who was found unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound in a home on Conrad Court at 3:15 p.m. earlier the same day.
FOX 35's Stephanie Buffamonte spoke with the couple's neighbors who were shaken up by the events.
"You just never know what someone is going through," a neighbor told Buffamonte. "… The way it went down was very sad for her family."
Information in the BOLO relayed that Schmalz-Riedt was driving a black Ram pickup truck and was believed to be armed with a handgun, VSO said.
Suspect stopped with PIT maneuver
Around 4:30 p.m., Aug. 23, a license plate reader caught Schmalz-Riedt in Volusia County going south on Florida-415.
He refused a traffic stop – continuing south, deputies said – before a deputy used stop sticks, which hit the back tire of Schmalz-Riedt's vehicle. After turning from 415 onto Howland Boulevard, the pursuing deputy initiated a PIT maneuver – leading the vehicle to stop in the woodline.
Surrender after 3 hours
Deputies attempted to make contact with Schmalz-Riedt, but said that he continued to be armed and refused to exit his truck peacefully. At around 8:30 p.m. – after hours of negotiations – he surrendered to SWAT deputies and was taken into custody.
What's next:
If convicted, the sentencing for second-degree murder with a firearm is 25 years to life, Buffamonte reported.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Volusia Sheriff's Office.