JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man wanted in connection with the 2023 killing of an Atlanta nightclub co-owner has been captured in Jacksonville after spending more than three years as a fugitive, according to authorities.
Jonathan Soto, 43, was arrested Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 23, at an apartment complex on Gate Parkway North during a joint operation involving the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Atlanta Police Department and U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.
Authorities said Soto was wanted in the Feb. 4, 2023, shooting death of Michael Gidewon, a co-owner of Republic Lounge in Atlanta.
Soto had been placed on the Atlanta Police Department’s most wanted list as detectives continued searching for him.
According to accounts released following the 2023 shooting, a witness reported seeing a man who appeared highly intoxicated being removed from Republic Lounge while carrying a gun. A security guard told investigators that the man later became involved in a confrontation with the club manager, who was shot.
Atlanta police detectives subsequently identified Soto as the suspected shooter.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said investigators tracked Soto to an apartment complex on Gate Parkway North on Wednesday. JSO SWAT officers surrounded the apartment where authorities believed he was hiding.
Soto refused to come outside, according to the sheriff’s office.
SWAT officers then used what JSO described as an “energetic door breach” to enter the residence and take Soto into custody. No injuries were reported during the operation.
Soto was booked into the Duval County Jail Wednesday evening and is being held on a fugitive warrant while authorities coordinate with law enforcement in Atlanta.