Ceres Police detectives arrested a woman who admitted shooting her boyfriend to death in a Ceres motel Thursday morning and are investigating her claims that he was physically abusive to her.

The shooting took place at the Howard Johnson Inn on Herndon Road in Ceres.

A hotel employee reported finding the unresponsive victim inside one of the rooms where there was a handgun. Modesto Fire first-responders arrived and confirmed the man was deceased.

As detectives were at the scene, the woman later identified as the shooter had flagged down fire personnel in the area of Mitchell and Finch roads to report she was a victim of domestic abuse and believed it occurred at a motel in Ceres. When officers arrived and asked if the woman had anything to do with the shooting, she fled in a vehicle.

Officers terminated their pursuit of the car out of concern for the safety of her unrestrained juvenile passenger.

Police reported that as the woman drove into Ceres in a reckless manner she struck a curb on Mitchell Road near Hatch Road. She steered her damaged car into the Food-4-Less parking lot where she was arrested.

The vehicle was registered to the victim and contained items belonging to him.

During the interrogation, the woman told detectives she had been in a dating relationship with the victim for approximately 18 years and confessed shooting him.

She was arrested on charges of murder, felony evasion, and two counts of child endangerment.

Her child was placed into the custody of Child Protective Services.

Police would not release the names of the suspect and victim pending the investigation.

Anyone with information helpful to the case is urged to call Sgt. Berber at 209-538-5672.