WPD arrests Wallace man in connection to Market Street parking deck shooting
A Wallace man has been arrested following a shooting at a parking deck in Downtown Wilmington.
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — A Wallace man has been arrested following a shooting at a parking deck in Downtown Wilmington.
22-year-old Rafael Martinez has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill — inflicting serious injury.
Martinez allegedly shot 26-year-old David Corpus in a parking deck in the 100 block of Market Street, around 3:15 a.m. on Sunday, March 8th.
According to the Wilmington Police Department, task force officers working with New Hanover County sheriff’s deputies heard gunfire in the area and responded to a nearby parking deck, where they found Corpus had been shot. Corpus, who works at “The Husk Restaurant” in Downtown Wilmington, was taken to Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center with serious injuries.
Martinez is currently being held at the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center under a $300,000 bond.
Police say officers approached a nearby vehicle and asked several men to step out before detaining them without incident.
During the arrest, officers found 21-year-old Edilberto Sierra in a separate vehicle, who did not exit, accelerated down the garage, and was struck by officer gun-fire. Despite life-saving efforts, Sierra later died from his injuries.
Police say multiple officers fired their weapons in response to what they described as an imminent threat to officers and nearby civilians.
The North Carolina SBI’s investigation into the separate officer-involved shooting is still on-going.
New Hanover County law enforcement are currently determining Martinez’s citizenship status. If they cannot do that, he will be handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
