A woman allegedly connected to a pill trafficking ring shot her neighbor in the head Thursday evening then fled, officials said.
Mona Maupin, 38, fired two shots at Patty Tate’s trailer on Manley Leestown Road near Owenton Road, with one hitting the trailer and the other hitting Tate in the head, according Franklin County Sheriff Pat Melton.
Tate was taken to Frankfort Regional Medical Center and airlifted to the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, where she remains in serious condition.
When deputies arrived at the scene around 6 p.m., Maupin dropped the gun and fled on foot into the surrounding woods, according to Melton.
Kentucky State Police and Frankfort Police assisted in the search. She was caught and taken into custody at the Franklin County Regional Jail.
“Our response time was so quick last night, she didn’t have time to flee,” Melton said Friday morning.
Three other adults and a 5-year-old were on the porch of the trailer on Manley Leestown Road when the shots were fired, but there were no other injuries.
Melton said Maupin and Tate were arguing before shots were fired, but he could not comment on what the argument was about because the investigation is ongoing.
Maupin is being charged with criminal intent to commit murder, first-degree assault, three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment and tampering with physical evidence.
Maupin also faces charges in connection with a prescription painkiller trafficking ring that brought pills to Frankfort from Florida. She allegedly bought plane tickets on her credit card for several traveling to Florida in search of prescriptions as directed by Neil Clark, her ex-boyfriend and the operation’s alleged ringleader, Commonwealth’s Attorney Larry Cleveland said in February.
Maupin has pleaded not guilty to engaging in organized crime.
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