Background: The scene of the shooting in Milwaukee, Wis. (WISN/YouTube). Inset: Lexus Ford (Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office).
A suspect in Wisconsin is accused of gunning down a man outside a food truck because he believed the victim had stolen items from his Jeep.
Lexus Ford, 34, has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree reckless injury, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to Milwaukee County court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
The victim was identified by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office as 39-year-old Michael "Mike Lee" Jackson, regional ABC affiliate WISN reported.
On Aug. 28, a man said he was working at a food truck parked near North 27th and West Walnut streets in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As he worked, his friend, Jackson, showed up, "and they began to talk," per a criminal complaint filed in the case.
They were walking back to Jackson's vehicle when what the man "believed to be a gray sedan pulled up alongside" them, the court document goes on. The passenger window opened, and the man heard about eight gunshots before the vehicle sped off.
He realized he had been shot, and police were called.
Officers with the Milwaukee Police Department responded to the area at about 3:45 a.m. They reported finding Jackson with "multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body." He was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later.
The other victim, Jackson's friend, had "suffered two gunshot wounds to his lower extremities." He was brought to an area hospital to be treated.
Investigators say they found 19 9 mm casings. They also reviewed surveillance video, which reportedly showed a vehicle "circling" the area before coming to a rest and "gunfire can be heard." The vehicle appeared to be a 2005 to 2007 tan Ford Focus "with a distinctive black rear bumper," authorities said.
By reviewing a temporary tag of the vehicle, police learned the same car was pulled over on July 29. The driver was apparently Ford's brother, and he was arrested by the Waukesha Police Department and in custody at the time of the shooting.
The complaint says the Focus was "ultimately released" to Ford, its owner.
On Sept. 1, Ford's brother was on a phone call with Ford's ex-girlfriend from jail, authorities go on. The woman said "some s— happened" and she asked him to listen. She reportedly said "bro" got his Jeep stolen with accessories inside, such as alcohol that he was allegedly selling, and "now bro gotta disappear."
The woman further said Ford "had been involved in gambling and that he placed his keys in the bet, but he won the bet and he got his keys back." According to the court document, "[s]omehow he lost his keys after that and someone stole his car."
The defendant told the woman "he saw his car driving away," and she said the situation went "all bad."
When investigators caught up with the woman, she said "she got a call from Ford and she could tell that something was wrong." He explained his account of events to her and said he found the Jeep and got it back.
Ford said later that he "f—ed up." He allegedly said "he hurt someone" and that he had "shot." The woman asked if he killed someone and he "shook his head yes" before adding that he was going to go on the run, per police.
Detectives said they spoke with Ford on Sept. 5 and learned that he had been selling liquor from his vehicle, and at some point, dropped his key fob and believed that Jackson had taken it. When Ford went to look for it, he found it "just a few blocks away."
Though it was parked, "people were at his truck taking everything out of it." Ford described himself as "livid."
An autopsy was conducted on Jackson's body, determining that he had "a gunshot wound to the chest, with an exit wound as well as various other gunshot wounds including one to the pelvis. These wounds were found to be the cause of his death."
Ford was arrested and jailed; he was scheduled to have an initial appearance in court on Thursday.
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