MARTINSVILLE, Va. – UPDATE - Oct. 21
The Martinsville Police Department has announced a second arrest in the homicide of 47-year-old Antoine Preston in Martinsville on Sept. 30.
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Authorities said police arrested 32-year-old Ricardo Ortiz IV of Spencer, Virginia Friday night.
Ortiz is charged with the following:
- First-degree murder
- Shooting from a vehicle to endanger persons
- Shooting into an occupied vehicle
- Use of a firearm in the commission of a felony
UPDATE - Oct. 7
An arrest has been made after a man was found dead in a vehicle in Martinsville on Sept. 30, according to the Martinsville Police Department.
Police said Delano Ross, 46, of Martinsville, was arrested and charged with the following:
- First-degree murder
- Use of a firearm in the commission of a felony
- Shoot from a vehicle to endanger persons
- Shooting into an occupied vehicle
- Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a violent convicted felon
- Reckless handling of a firearm
According to authorities, he was taken into custody without incident on Spring Street in Martinsville and is being held without bond.
MPD said although an arrest has been made, investigators are continuing to interview additional witnesses and collect evidence, so the case is still under investigation.
If anyone has any further information regarding this crime, they are encouraged to call Sgt. Durham at 276-403-5330 or Crime Stoppers at 276-63-CRIME (276-632-7463).
ORIGINAL STORY
A homicide investigation is underway after police say a man was found dead in a vehicle in Martinsville Saturday night.
According to the Martinsville Police Department, the Martinsville-Henry County 911 Center received a call at 11:43 p.m. of gunshots around the 1400 block of Fayette Street.
We’re told when officers arrived, they found three people who directed the officers to a pickup truck that had gone over a guardrail, down a steep embankment and was upside down.
Officers proceeded down the embankment but discovered that the driver and only occupant were deceased. Authorities said the three people who pointed out the vehicle were not involved in the incident but came upon the scene immediately after the vehicle crash.
According to authorities, officers discovered evidence at the scene that verified the earlier gunshots and that the pickup truck was the intended target of those gunshots.
They said the Martinsville Fire & EMS Department responded to the scene for the safe securing and removal of the victim and vehicle.
We’re told that because of the location of the incident, the road had to be closed off temporarily with the assistance of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police.
According to police, the victim was identified as Antoine Preston, 47, of Martinsville. The state medical examiner’s office in Roanoke will conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
MPD said the investigation is in its early stages as detectives are continuing to collect and process evidence.
If anyone has any information regarding this crime, they are encouraged to contact Sergeant Harley Durham at 276-403-5330 or they can do so anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 276-63-CRIME.