Palmetto Police Arrest Suspect in Fatal Shooting of Woman

Police in Palmetto have arrested a man accused of the shooting death of a woman late Sunday night.

Officers responded to reports of gunfire around 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 21 in the 1400 block of 12th Avenue West. At the scene, two witnesses directed officers to the driveway of a nearby home, where they discovered the body of 30-year-old Blanca Guzman Bartolon with a gunshot wound to the head.

According to investigators, Bartolon had called the witnesses for help before the shooting, telling them her boyfriend was armed and acting aggressively. When they arrived, the suspect, identified as 25-year-old Cilas Roblero Morales, allegedly confronted them and opened fire, killing Bartolon. The witnesses escaped and contacted authorities.

Morales fled the area but was tracked down at the Manatee County Fairgrounds with the assistance of a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit and a helicopter. He was taken into custody without incident, and police recovered a firearm believed to be the murder weapon nearby.

Morales is facing charges of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. He is currently being held at the Manatee County Jail without bond.