Hermelindo Martinez-Perez
MILWAUKEE - A 48-year-old Milwaukee man is facing a felony reckless homicide charge in connection with a shooting that left another man dead late last month, regarding an alleged affair with the defendant’s wife.
The accused is Hermelindo Martinez-Perez, 48. He has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, along with a disorderly conduct charge tied to an earlier domestic abuse incident.
Domestic violence call
What we know:
According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police responded to a domestic violence call involving Martinez-Perez and his wife on Sept. 13.
The woman told officers her husband was intoxicated, accused her of infidelity and demanded she leave the residence. She said they had been cheating on each other, and had been having other issues.
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The complaint states Martinez-Perez grabbed her by the arm and threatened to kill her. He was arrested at the scene, and the incident resulted in a disorderly conduct charge tied to domestic abuse.
Fatal shooting
What we know:
Prosecutors allege Martinez-Perez recklessly caused the death of Ramon Olivares-Rodriguez during a shooting on Wednesday, Nov. 26, near Burnham and Winona.
According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police were called to the area around 10:03 p.m. for a reported shooting. Officers found Olivares-Rodriguez unresponsive. Life-saving measures were attempted, but the victim was pronounced dead.
An autopsy later found two gunshot wounds to the chest, and the Milwaukee County medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.
Milwaukee shootings Wednesday; 1 dead, 1 wounded
Milwaukee police are investigating two separate shootings that occurred on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Complaint outlines alleged affair, rising tensions
Dig deeper:
The complaint details witness interviews indicating the victim had been involved in an affair with Martinez-Perez’s wife. Police later interviewed the wife, who told detectives the defendant confronted her about the relationship and demanded she contact the victim to end it. She said she refused and that Martinez-Perez later left and returned home around 11 p.m.
Investigators say surveillance video and automated license plate reader data placed a white GMC Sierra pickup truck registered to Martinez-Perez near the scene shortly before and after the shooting. Cell phone records allegedly showed Martinez-Perez’s phone using towers in the area at the time of the homicide, according to the complaint.
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Arrest, statement to investigators
What's next:
Martinez-Perez was arrested on Friday, Dec. 12. In a statement to investigators, he said he did not clearly remember the night of the shooting because he had been drinking while preparing food at his restaurant. He acknowledged the truck seen in surveillance footage looked like his, but said he did not recall being at the scene, the complaint states.
If convicted of first-degree reckless homicide, Martinez-Perez faces up to 60 years in prison, with a possible sentence enhancement for use of a dangerous weapon.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.