Man arrested on manslaughter charges in connection with July 24 fatal shooting in Pueblo

Zach Hillstrom, Pueblo Chieftain
·6 min read
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Pueblo police have arrested a suspect in the shooting death of a 56-year-old man in late July.

Russell Martinez, 52, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of Vincent Smith on July 24, the Pueblo Police Department announced Friday.

Police were called to a report of shots fired in the 2000 block of East Evans Avenue just after 6 p.m. that Monday and arrived to find a man, later identified as Smith, dead outside of a residence.

Pueblo PD Public Information Officer Sgt. Frank Ortega told the Chieftain after the shooting that police believed the suspect and shooter knew one another. He declined to comment on the exact nature of their relationship.

Martinez is being held at the Pueblo County jail without bail, pending a court appearance. His first appearance in Pueblo District Court is scheduled for 9 a.m., Aug. 16.

Smith’s death marked the 15th homicide in the city of Pueblo in 2023. A total of 17 homicides have now been reported in the city. Two additional homicides have been reported in Pueblo County, bringing the county’s total to 19.

Last year, the city recorded 28 homicides. Thirty-one total homicides were recorded countywide.

What we know so far about Pueblo's 2023 homicides:

  • Unnamed 2-year-old, Jan. 31: Mythia Latka, 23, has been charged with child abuse causing the death of her 2-year-old child, who has not been publicly identified by the Chieftain because the child is a minor. Latka is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 8.

  • Heather Duran, Feb. 24: Francisco Ruiz, 30, is accused of first-degree murder in the shooting death of the 34-year-old Duran. Ruiz is scheduled for a routine hearing in mid-August, after a judge found there was sufficient evidence to set the case for trial.

  • Fred Ettleman, Feb. 24: Ettleman, 79, was killed in a shooting at King Soopers on Northern Avenue. Police have not publicly identified any suspects in Ettleman's death.

  • Joseph Vigil, March 4 : Vigil, 38, was killed in a late-night shooting. Police identified Pablo Carillo and Mario Valenzuela as suspects in the case. Carillo was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and is scheduled for an arraignment on Aug. 31. Valenzuela died on April 6, according to Pueblo PD. The county coroner stated that he died in a "non-newsworthy manner" and declined to release Valenzuela's cause of death.

  • Sancho Xavier Sierra, April 3: Sierra, 17, was killed in the 1000 block of East 11th Street, in an apparent shooting. Three women were also hospitalized with gunshot wounds in the same shooting. No suspects have yet been named in the case.

  • Scottie Sanders, April 24: Sanders, 28, was found dead in the 2600 block of Orman Avenue after police responded to reports of an unconscious person. No suspects have been identified in the case, and the coroner has not released Sanders' cause of death.

  • Daedriean Ortega-Brisco, May 9: Ortega-Brisco, 19, was found shot to death after police were dispatched to the 1500 block of East Second Street on a report that a person had been shot. No suspects have yet been named in the case.

  • Joshua Specht, May 22: Specht, 42, was found dead in the yard of a residence on the 2600 block of Poplar Street by police, who were responding to a call of shots fired in the area and a motorcycle crash near Illinois Avenue and Poplar Street. No suspects have yet been named in the case.

  • Michael Anthony Sandoval, June 11: Sandoval, 28, was found dead by police at approximately 6:35 p.m. after they were called to the 1100 block of Francisco Street on a report of a shooting. Police announced in early July they'd issued an arrest warrant charging Edgar Earl Darden with murder. Darden is still on the run.

  • Jordan Robinson, June 19: Robinson was discovered dead in a vehicle in the 1000 block of East River Street, the victim of apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a coroner investigator. No suspects have yet been named in the case.

  • Russel Edward Kuklies, June 27: Kuklies, 40, was shot and killed at the Val-U-Stay Inn and Suites on North Hudson Avenue. Officers responded to the scene just after 8 p.m. the night of June 27 and found Kuklies dead on scene. Police are seeking help identifying suspects in the homicide.

  • Marcos Colunga-Gaona, June 28:Colunga-Gaona, 25, was found unresponsive by police with a gunshot wound in the 1600 block of Lambert Avenue on the night of June 28. He was pronounced dead by a coroner investigator. Police are seeking potential witnesses to the homicide.

  • Lazarus Vigil, June 28: Vigil, 19, was found by police with gunshot wounds after officers were called to the scene of a car crash and fire in the 500 block of Mesa Avenue. Vigil was taken to a local hospital but died from his injuries. No suspects have been named in the case.

  • Sabino Loya-Armendariz, July 3:Loya-Armendariz, 25, was found dead by Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office deputies in the 1300 block of Tampico Street as a result of gunshot wounds. No arrests have yet been made.

  • Marcos Baca, July 4: Baca, 29, was allegedly shot and killed by his uncle, William Montoya, whom police claim admitted to the shooting. Montoya is set for a hearing on Aug. 2.

  • Vincent Smith, July 24: Smith, 56, was killed by a gunshot wound outside a residence in the 2000 block of East Evans Avenue. Russell Martinez was arrested by police on suspicion of manslaughter.

  • Unidentified teenager, July 25: The teenager, who has not been publicly identified by the coroner's office due to them being a juvenile, was found dead by police with a gunshot wound when they were called to a report of shots fired at the skate park at City Park. No suspects have been named in the case.

  • Franklin Bruner, July 29: Bruner was shot and killed in the 1000 block of Berkley Avenue. His dog was also shot during the incident and had to be euthanized as a result of its injuries. The suspect in the case, Robert James Rudichar, was arrested in Las Vegas, New Mexico on July 31. He’s been charged by Pueblo police with first-degree murder.

  • Larry Derrick Maes, Aug. 4: Maes was found dead in a white SUV with a single gunshot wound after Pueblo County sheriff’s deputies were called to a report of a vehicle wreck in the 1700 block of Tenderfoot Lane in Pueblo West. No suspects have been named in the case.

Chieftain editor Zach Hillstrom can be reached at zhillstrom@gannett.com or on Twitter, @ZachHillstrom. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in Pueblo fatal shooting