Mother slain in Mascotte home with child inside, police say

Police say person of interest on the run

MASCOTTE, Fla. – A woman was slain while her 3-year-old daughter was inside their Lake County home, and deputies are searching for a person of interest in the homicide, according to officials.

The homicide occurred Monday at a home on Bay Lake Road, just south of Orange Street near State Road 50.

Police say they are searching for Johnny Lashawn Shipman, 36, who is identified as a suspect in the death of 26-year-old Kristi Lynne Delaney.

Kristi Delaney

Detectives said Shipman was dropped off in the area of US Hwy 441 and Interstate 75 in Ocala and is most likely traveling north to Alabama where he has relatives.

The Mascotte police chief said Delaney's death stems from a domestic violence incident.  Her cause of death has not been released.

"They fight all the time," a neighbor said.  "You hear them arguing and fighting.  There's always something going on."

Investigators said the couple's daughter walked to her grandmother's house, located a quarter-mile away, after the attack.

Officials said residents should be alert but added that there's no danger to the public at large.

"While we know folks are concerned, they don't have to worry about a random act someone's out there," said City Manager Jim Gleason. "This was a breaking and entering type of issue and, unfortunately, it was domestic. The biggest thing I can stress is that if anybody you know, living anywhere, you hear or see something, you think something is going on, pick up the phone and call. It would be a lot easier for a 911 call to find out everything is OK."

Police are asking anyone who has information on Shipman's whereabouts to contact Lake County deputies or Crimeline 1-800-423-TIPS.

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