Jacksonville Sheriff's Office SWAT officers arrested a fugitive at a Gate Parkway North apartment Wednesday, ending a manhunt that lasted more than three years.

Jonathan Soto, 43, had been on the Atlanta Police Department's Top 10 Most Wanted list since the Feb. 4, 2023, shooting death of Michael Gidewon, 50, co-owner of the Republic Lounge in Atlanta. SWAT officers, Atlanta police and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force tracked Soto to the Southside apartment, News4Jax first reported.

Standoff ends with forced entry

Soto refused to come out. Officers used what the sheriff's office called an "energetic door breach" to enter the apartment and take him into custody. No one was injured.

What police say happened at the lounge

Atlanta police allege Soto was at the Republic Lounge the night of the shooting, was escorted out because he was intoxicated and later returned with a gun. Gidewon was found shot to death outside the club on Brady Avenue, Action News Jax reported.

Atlanta police said they located Soto using "investigative technology" and shared his location with the sheriff's office and U.S. Marshals, Atlanta News First reported.

The Gidewon family had offered a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to Soto's capture, according to Action News Jax. Alex Gidewon, a family member and co-owner of the lounge, said in a 2023 statement that Soto knew the family, The Associated Press reported. The Republic Lounge closed permanently after the killing.

Suspect held on fugitive warrant

The sheriff's office said in a statement Wednesday that the arrest showed the value of working with law enforcement partners across the country to remove dangerous fugitives from local streets.

Soto was booked into the Duval County Jail and is being held on a fugitive warrant. No extradition date or court hearing has been announced. The case remains with the Atlanta Police Department.

Anyone with information about crimes in the Mandarin area can contact the sheriff's office at 904-630-0500 or submit an anonymous tip to First Coast Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.