Woman accused of fatally shooting roommate who ‘did not clean up after himself’

TAMPA, Fla. — A west-central Florida woman is accused of fatally shooting her roommate when he did not clean up a mess he allegedly had made in the home they shared, authorities said.

According to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office online booking records, Patricia Jean Whitehead, 71, of Tampa, was arrested on Thursday and charged with first-degree murder.

Officers with the Tampa Police Department responded to a residence in the Ybor City section of the city at about 9:28 a.m. EDT, according to a news release.

Detectives determined through an investigation that Whitehead and the male victim shared a residence, WTVT reported. The woman allegedly became angry with the victim, claiming that She had become angry with the victim, “claiming he did not clean up after himself,” according to Tampa police.

The victim, whose name and age have not been released, was leaving the residence when Whitehead heard him slam the door, the Tampa Bay Times reported. According to police, she retrieved a gun from her bedroom, followed the victim outside and shot him “multiple times.”

The victim was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to WTVT.

Whitehead was arrested later Thursday and booked at the Orient Road Jail, the Times reported. She was transferred to the Falkenburg Road Jail in Tampa and remains in custody without bail, online records show.

An investigation is ongoing.

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