MOREHEAD, Ky. (LEX 18) — Tuesday morning, Gerardo Martinez, 36, appeared in Rowan County court facing several felony charges stemming from a deadly shooting incident that took place on July 20 in Morehead.
The shooting left 15-year-old Luis Nuñez dead and his 12-year-old sister hospitalized.
Detective Steve Justice of the Morehead Police Department took the stand to provide details about the events of that night.
According to his testimony, an officer in the area had been running stationary radar when he heard noises that resembled gunshots around 2:30 AM.
Detectives reported that after returning home from a bar, Martinez attempted to initiate a sexual encounter with his girlfriend, who refused him.
Police say Martinez became angry and assaulted her by biting her on both arms and twisting her right arm. According to court documents, it was at this moment that Luis, the girlfriend’s son, entered the room.
"Luis heard the scream," said Justice. "He opened the door to the bedroom and he told Gerardo to get off his mother or to stop. Luis asked if she wanted him to call the cops and she had told him no, that they would talk about it in the morning."
Detectives say at some point, Martinez grabbed a pistol and fired through a door three times, hitting and killing Luis. His mother then fled the apartment with her one and three-year-old, while telling her daughter to run. The detective says Luis' 12-year-old sister was also shot and is still in the hospital.
Detectives say bullet holes were found in the walls and ceiling of the apartment. Martinez was taken into custody almost two hours after the shooting.
"West Sun Street is also where Gerardo was located, hiding under the bushes in the shrubbery," explained Detective Justice.
Martinez is currently being held at the Rowan County Detention Center on a $1 million bond.
A lieutenant with the detention center confirms that Martinez has a federal immigration detainer, but says that he would have to go through all court proceedings for his current charges before ICE could take him into custody.
