Man sought for questioning now charged after death of Nashville Smokin Thighs owner
The man captured after slipping through law enforcement twice in recent weeks has been charged in connection to the hit-and-run homicide of Smokin Thighs owner Matthew Carney.
The Metro Nashville Police Department said Ulises Martinez, 24, was taken into custody Thursday morning at the Somatel Motel on Metroplex Drive near Interstate 24 and Harding Place.
In addition to homicide charges, Martinez is facing a charge of evidence tampering in connection with Carney's death.
The restaurateur was critically injured in a hit-and-run outside his Wedgewood restaurant on June 19. He died in the hospital on July 4.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post Wednesday evening that Martinez ran from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and local authorities were searching for him in the areas around Camp Jordan and East Gate.
More: Vigil held for slain Smokin Thighs owner as Nashville police seek man for questioning
Nashville Police identified Martinez as a person of interest last week after he eluded arrest for the first time. Police spotted him as he got into the back of a car in the parking lot of a Bell Road motel. When police tried to stop the car, the vehicle fled before pulling into a dead end drive in Williamson County.
Martinez and two others bailed out of the car. Police caught the two other men, but Martinez slipped away.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said Thursday morning that more than 70 law enforcement personnel searched for Martinez into the early morning hours Thursday, but it was thought he'd fled the area.
"The terrain, Chickamauga Creek, and intense heat posed incredible challenges to resources and responding personnel, many of which were in the woods for hours searching for the suspect. I also want to thank our citizens for offering tips as to the whereabouts of the suspect and for their patience as we are aware our search efforts impacted traffic and businesses throughout the East Ridge and Brainerd areas," Sheriff Austin Garrett said in the Facebook post.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Smokin Thighs case: Nashville police charge man wanted for questioning
