A Berkeley County woman was charged early Saturday in connection with the fatal shooting of her boyfriend at her apartment during an argument, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office said.
Jennifer Jean Pendias, 31, of 5512 Shepherdstown Road, was being held in the Eastern Regional Jail on one count of murder, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Harald Martinson, 35, who lived with the defendant, was pronounced dead at Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, police said.
Deputies responded to the defendant’s residence after Pendias called 911 at 12:09 a.m. and stated that she accidentally shot her boyfriend, police said.
Martinson was found in the bathroom with a single gunshot wound to the left side of his upper body, according to Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Brendan Hall.
The sheriff’s office said investigating deputies were able to determine that Martinson was shot by Pendias after the couple were involved in a verbal argument.
Martinson and Pendias were together for two or three years, according to police. It’s not clear what they were arguing about, Hall said.
Deputies recovered an 8 mm Mauser rifle that was allegedly used in the shooting and spent several hours processing the defendant’s residence for evidence, according to Hall.
No one else was in the apartment at the time of the shooting, according to Hall.
Anyone with information about the shooting may contact Lt. Hall at 304-267-7000 or Berkeley County Crime Solvers at 304-267-4999
