FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A man is now charged with attempted murder months after investigators said he shot his girlfriend in the head in Palm Coast.
Brenan Robert Hill, 32, has been locked up since the shooting on March 26 on unrelated charges. Deputies said Hill was wanted in Pennsylvania for failing to appear in court on domestic violence charges. He was also charged with possession of marijuana, hashish and cocaine.
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“We knew he was not going anywhere, so time was on our side and the community would be safe,” Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Rick Staly said.
Investigators said they were called to a hotel in Palm Coast at 9:45 a.m. on March 26 for a report of a robbery. The victim had been shot in the head and was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Investigators said Hill’s story of what happened kept on changing as they investigated the shooting. Staly said Hill had left a “digital footprint” that did not match the sequence of events as he described them.
“Every time we pointed out inconsistencies, he wouldn’t contrive another story, “ Staly said. “What he didn’t know is we already had his digital footprint, which ultimately led us directly to the gun, he had tried to hide before he started seeking help for the victim.”
The sheriff said Hill had also called his mother prior to calling 911 to seek help for the victim.
Staly said Hill and the victim had a volatile relationship which included unreported incidents of domestic violence.
After the shooting, the victim was in a coma, according to the sheriff, but she has since regained consciousness and is now able to have some limited communication. Despite that, the sheriff described her injuries as “life-altering” and added that she still requires round-the-clock care.
“We’re being told that she has improved a lot, but her injuries are life-altering — she’ll never be the same,” Staly said.
Investigators said that Hill has a long criminal history which includes 19 arrests — 14 in other states and five in Florida.
“Typically, his arrests have been shoplifting, larceny and drug-related and domestic violence,” Staly said.
Hill now faces a charge of attempted second-degree murder in addition to the drug-related charges he already faced.