Young Mother’s Chilling Plea–TRAGIC Discovery

A young mother’s last words—“Please don’t shoot me”—set off a multi-state manhunt that ended with her body found across the Michigan line and her boyfriend in custody.

Quick Take

Gabriella Cartagena, 24, was last seen Feb. 4 at Red Arrow Park in Marinette, Wisconsin, with boyfriend Robert Chilcote, 29.
During a phone call to her mother around 7:19–7:20 p.m., Cartagena was reportedly crying and pleaded, “Please don’t shoot me.”
Police say evidence at the park indicates she was killed there, then transported to Michigan, where her body was found Feb. 10.
Chilcote was arrested Feb. 5 in Wright County, Minnesota after a police chase; authorities reported weapons were found in his vehicle.

Timeline: A Disappearance That Turned Into a Cross-Border Homicide Case

Marinette police say Cartagena was last seen around 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 4 at Red Arrow Park with Chilcote, who lived with her in Marinette. During a call to her mother about 7:19–7:20 p.m., Cartagena could be heard in distress, crying and pleading, “Please don’t shoot me.” She was reported missing the next day, Feb. 5, after her family could not locate her.

Investigators later said surveillance cameras and cell tower information helped map Chilcote’s movements after that call. Footage reportedly showed a red Toyota Prius associated with Chilcote traveling between Marinette and the Menominee, Michigan area late Feb. 4, with sightings between about 9:25 and 9:45 p.m. Given how quickly a vehicle can cross the Wisconsin-Michigan border in that region, police focused on a narrow search area rather than treating the case as an open-ended missing-person mystery.

What Police Say the Evidence Shows at Red Arrow Park

Police Chief Jon LaCombe said investigators found signs at Red Arrow Park that, in their view, point to the park as the killing site. Authorities cited blood and disturbances at the scene, and they believe Cartagena’s body was moved after the assault. Snow conditions initially complicated search efforts, but the physical evidence kept attention on the park while investigators worked outward using video from nearby locations and businesses on both sides of the border.

Cartagena’s body was found around 10:00 a.m. on Feb. 10 in a wooded area near Birch Creek Road in Menominee County, Michigan. Law enforcement described the discovery as the result of coordinated work across jurisdictions—Marinette, Menominee County, and agencies that supplied video or assisted with searches. Officials have not publicly released a cause or manner of death, pending an autopsy by the medical examiner.

The Arrest in Minnesota: Flight, a Chase, and Weapons Found

Chilcote was arrested Feb. 5 in Wright County, Minnesota after fleeing law enforcement, according to reporting based on police statements. Authorities said weapons were found in his vehicle, but sources available so far do not confirm whether any weapon is linked to Cartagena’s death. Prosecutors in Marinette County have said they are waiting for autopsy results before announcing final charging decisions, while working to bring Chilcote back to Wisconsin through extradition.

What’s Confirmed—and What’s Still Unknown

Officials have said Chilcote is the only suspect and they do not believe other individuals were involved. Police also said Chilcote invoked his right to remain silent during an interview in Minnesota, limiting what the public can know about motive or the precise sequence of events. Reporting indicates there were no prior domestic disturbance calls involving the couple, even though they lived together—an important limitation when trying to understand warning signs from public records alone.

For families watching this unfold, the case underscores two realities at once: modern investigations can move fast when surveillance and phone data narrow a timeline, yet basic questions can remain unanswered for weeks until forensic results arrive. Cartagena’s family is left grieving and seeking justice, while the community is confronted with the sobering fact that a public park in a small border town became the center of a violent crime that crossed state lines.