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Inset: Jonathan William Erdman Frenk (Orange County Jail). Background: The street where Frenk allegedly shot his ex-wife (Google Maps).
A 62-year-old man in Florida is accused of attempting to kill his ex-wife, allegedly shooting her before attempting to frame her for the deed.
Jonathan William Erdman Frenk was taken into custody over the weekend and charged with one count of aggravated battery of a pregnant person and one count of attempted felony murder, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
Officers with the Apopka Police Department on Saturday afternoon responded to an emergency call at a local residence regarding a shooting, Orlando CBS affiliate WKMG reported. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders said they encountered an unarmed Frenk exiting the front door with both of his hands in the air. He reportedly told officers that the woman had been shot in her right leg, adding that she may have been a drug user.
Inside the home, police reportedly located a woman they said was sitting in a chair and screaming for help. A handgun was allegedly located atop a nearby suitcase.
While still in the home, the woman allegedly told police that she shot herself. However, while emergency medical personnel were transporting her to a local hospital for treatment, the victim allegedly changed her story.
“As the Victim was getting transported, the Victim told a fire department medical staff that she had shot herself,” police reportedly wrote in the affidavit. “But later on, the Victim stated, ‘My husband shot me!’”
In an interview with police, the woman reportedly said that she and Frenk had gotten into a fight that turned violent. At some point, she claimed that Frenk yelled, “I’m going to kill you,” then grabbed the handgun and shot her in the leg.
“The Victim did not hear [Frenk] saying anything after he shot her,” the affidavit continues. “The Victim said she had no idea if [Frenk] intended to shoot her in the thigh. The Victim was scared and in fear of her life. The Victim told [Frenk] that she could tell the police that she shot herself to avoid [Frenk] from shooting her again.”
In court documents reviewed by Law&Crime, Frenk’s attorney denied the allegations, writing, “the concept that this was an attempted murder defies logic.”
“The firearm is a 15-shot Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun,” the document, filed in connection with Frenk’s initial court appearance, states. “The police theory must be that [Frenk] shot her once in the leg, called 911 to get help, and then tended her wound instead of shooting her an additional 14 times in his attempt to murder her. Clearly, this was the worst thought-through murder attempt in the annals of criminal behavior.”
The filing also notes that at the time of the shooting, the woman was under a court-ordered injunction to have no contact with Frenk or to be near his home.
Frenk is currently being held in the Orange County Jail without bond, online records show.
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