NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A Hampton man who police say shot and killed his ex-girlfriend in 2019 pleaded guilty on Thursday.

Court documents show that Maya Frye was sentenced to 53 years behind bars, but had 23 years suspended. He will serve 30 years followed by five years of supervised probation.

Newport News police say they were called to reports of a shooting on Jefferson Avenue, near the Mercury Boulevard intersection, around 5 p.m. on April 4, 2019. A woman was found in a parking lot with a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead on the scene.

She was later identified as 26-year-old Jocelyn Miera Frazier.

Frye and Frazier were previously in a relationship and have a child together. 

Chief Steve Drew said at that time Frye was arrested later that night at a Walmart in Suffolk. He was originally charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Many people inside the businesses saw or heard the moments leading up to the shooting. 

Witnesses said they heard a woman yelling for help and screaming “stop.” When they looked outside, witnesses said they saw a man and a woman fighting.

In November 2019, Frye made a court appearance.

After hearing a few witnesses testify, the charges against Frye were upgraded from second-degree murder to first-degree murder.

During that hearing, the commonwealth’s attorney presented the findings from Frazier’s autopsy. According to the report, Frazier was shot three times. Once at close range and twice more from intermediate range.