Jhony Marchena
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County prosecutors have now charged a man with killing a woman on the city's north side more than three years ago.
In court:
Court records show 23-year-old Jhony Marchena is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and felony bail jumping. He made his initial court appearance on the charges Thursday, and his bond was set at $300,000.
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17th and Wright
The backstory:
Police were called to a shooting near 17th and Wright on the afternoon of July 21, 2022. They found the victim, Daneysha Velez, in the street next to a running car. She had multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene despite life-saving attempts.
Investigators found 15 bullet casings at the scene and what appeared to be three bullet strikes to a nearby home. Analysts determined the casings were fired from three different guns, according to court filings.
Scene near 17th and Wright (July 21, 2022)
Dig deeper:
A criminal complaint said surveillance video showed a black Mercedes-Benz parked in front of a house, and one person came outside to the car. Velez's red Chrysler then parked behind the Mercedes-Benz, and spoke to someone who was in the backseat of that car. Two white pickup trucks drove past, and someone in the second truck shot her. Less than a minute elapsed from the time Velez parked and the time she was shot.
Another surveillance camera identified the white pickup truck as a Dodge Ram with a black stripe and "TRX" painted above one of the wheels. Court filings said the pickup truck drove out of view of the camera, gunshots were heard and the pickup truck could be heard speeding off.
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Prosecutors said a similar vehicle had been reported stolen in Mequon hours before the homicide. On July 27, it was found and towed to a police building for processing. Detectives found three bullet casings and the license plates, which were no longer affixed to the pickup truck, inside.
The complaint said a forensic investigator lifted Marchena's prints from the rear license plate cover. A warrant determined the pickup truck, which was a newer model, had connected to cellphone towers in the area of the homicide at the time it happened.
Glendale shooting, man charged with intentional homicide
A Milwaukee man is now charged with first-degree intentional homicide, accused of killing Kamonti McFarlane last September.
Marchena's arrest
Dig deeper:
Police took Marchena into custody on Sept. 9, 2022. Court filings said a search of the home where he was arrested uncovered a handgun and his cellphone. A records review determined the number associated with that cellphone had used cellphone towers in the area of the homicide when it happened.
Further, the complaint said cellphone records and tower data showed Marchena's cellphone and the stolen pickup truck were "consistently in the same area, including at the time of the homicide" on July 21.
In a statement to police, prosecutors said Marchena told claimed he had never seen the pickup truck in question and his fingerprints would not be on it.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced information from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.