Racine man now charged in fatal shooting near Lasalle and High Street

RACINE COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A Racine man has now been charged in connection with the 2018 homicide of Marcellus Martinez.

Gerald Smith, 37, is charged with First Degree Intentional Homicide and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.

Officers were called to the 1700 block of LaSalle Street for a report of shots fired on November 5, 2018.

Upon arrival, officers located a man laying in the street next to the driver side of a vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.

Officers spoke with a witness who stated that he and the victim, later identified as Martinez, pulled up to an address on LaSalle Street and that after a couple of minutes, he saw an individual at the driver's window. That individual then allegedly shot multiple times into the vehicle.  The witness said he rolled out of the car and onto the ground when the firing started.

Officers obtained surveillance video that showed the suspect walk up to the driver's window of the vehicle and fire multiple times.

During the investigation, officers spoke with a witness who said that the SUV involved in the shooting had been in the neighborhood prior. He allegedly watched it because he believed it was involved in drug activity. 

Officers tracked down the SUV to Enterprise Rent A Car. They learned the address of the person leasing the vehicle.

When officers went to stop the vehicle, it allegedly fled at a high rate of speed before crashing into a tree near 43rd Street just north of Hwy K. 

The driver, later identified as Smith, was taken to a hospital for treatment before being placed under arrest.

According to the criminal complaint, officers spoke with a man who said Smith told him that he admitted to shooting Martinez.

Smith will have his preliminary hearing on March 6.