A California grandfather was shot in the face and killed while trying to apologize for a minor fender bender in a Walmart parking lot.
Jonathan Mauk, 59, was going to the store in San Bernardino County to run some errands on February 5 when he accidentally backed his Chevrolet Camaro into another woman’s car, who was leaving her parking spot.
The impact was minor – and the woman, Shawntece Norton, 36, was left with a scratch on her vehicle.
But as mechanic Mauk got out of his car to apologize, Norton stepped out of and shot the man in the face before driving off, police said.
Norton was tracked down and arrested 12 hours later. She was charged with murder along with the special allegation of personal/intentional use of a firearm.
Jonathan Mauk, 59, was going to the store in San Bernardino County to run some errands on February 5 when he had accidentally backed his car into another woman’s, who was leaving her parking spot
The impact was minor – and the woman, Shawntece Norton, 36, was left with a scratch on her vehicle. Norton was tracked down and arrested 12 hours later. She was charged with murder along with the special allegation of personal/intentional use of a firearm
Mauk was stopping at Walmart in Highland at 8pm to pick up salt and soda to make his homemade beef jerky with his family when he was killed.
Mauk, who worked at Carey’s Fine Automobiles and is said to have loved cars, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was remembered as an ‘amazing’ man who has a ‘legacy that cannot be described.’
Capt. Nelson Carrington with the San Bernardino Police Department said: ‘For whatever reason, the victim stopped and slowly backed his vehicle up and that’s when he had a collision with the suspect’s vehicle.’
Speaking about the damage to his father’s car, the victim’s son said: ‘There is a scratch on the fender. There is not a dent, there is no real damage. There is a scratch. That is the extent of the collision that he lost his life over.’
Lee Hall, the victim’s friend and coworker, told KTLA: ‘I cried when I found out he got killed. That’s what he loved — cars. He probably would have fixed the lady’s car for nothing, but she ended up shooting him.’
Jonathan’s son, Matthew Mauk, said: ‘I couldn’t imagine anybody getting that upset over something so small, so insignificant. It’s so painful. I wouldn’t want anybody to go through this.
‘I want the community to understand the type of loss that is suffered not only by his family but by all of us.
‘If you’re broke down in front of an auto parts store and he happened to be there, he’s the kind of guy that would offer to help.
Mauk, who worked at Carey’s Fine Automobiles and is said to have loved cars, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was remembered as an ‘amazing’ man
His son wrote about him: ‘My father was an amazing man, loved by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. He leaves behind three sons, two grandchildren, and a legacy that cannot be described’
‘There should be no leniency. This type of thing should not be tolerated. This community is already broken enough over years of all the issues that we do have.’
Mauk also set up a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs following his father’s death.
He wrote: ‘On Monday, February 5th just before 8PM my father was involved in a minor fender bender in the parking lot at Walmart in Highland CA.
‘Upon getting out of the car to apologize, the other driver shot and killed my father, then fled the scene.
‘My father was an amazing man, loved by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. He leaves behind three sons, two grandchildren, and a legacy that cannot be described.
‘This GoFundMe is being created due to the overwhelming support we have received and by request to help. Words cannot describe what this means to my family.’
Norton entered a not guilty plea in her court appearance this week.
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