MELBOURNE, Fla. – A man was found shot to death late Monday outside a bar in Melbourne, police said.
The fatal shooting was reported around 11:15 p.m. in the parking lot of Mugs Pub on Sarno Road.
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According to the Melbourne Police Department, the victim, 39-year-old Westly A. Lopes, and the suspect, Michael Alan Smith, 42, were in a vehicle together when an argument broke out.
Police said Lopes was sitting in the back seat while Smith was in the passenger seat. The two were being driven by someone who was asked by Smith to stop at the parking lot of Mugs Pub, according to police.
At one point, Smith and Lopes began arguing and Smith got out the car and shot Lopes multiple times, the department said. He then pulled Lopes out of the vehicle and left him in the parking lot, police said.
Lopes was found lying in the parking lot and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Smith then told the driver to leave the parking lot, according to officials.
“In fear for their safety, the driver drove Smith to Malabar Rd and I-95, where Smith got out,” police said in a news release.
The driver called police about the situation and officers began searching for Smith.
Early Tuesday, detectives were alerted to a stolen car that was followed by a Florida Department of Agriculture officer on I-95 north of Jacksonville into Georgia.
Law enforcement in Georgia tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver took off, officials said. They pursued the stolen vehicle until a deputy was able to stop the car, causing it to go off the road and crash in the woods, Melbourne police said.
When law enforcement went up to the vehicle, they found Smith dead after he shot himself, the department said.
The Georgia State Police is investigating the crash, while Melbourne police continue investigating the shooting.