2020 Murder Defendant Declared Competent to Stand Trial

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After two years in mental health court, an Anne Arundel County man was finally deemed mentally competent received a trial date for a 2020 assault and robbery which eventually killed the victim.

Ronald Alston, 36, of Arnold, Md., is charged with first-degree murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery for an incident on Feb. 18, 2020, for which he is accused of fatally assaulted Ricky Martin at a BP gas station on the 100 block of West Patapsco Avenue.

Alston’s trial was scheduled for a later date in December by Judge Melissa K. Copeland of the Baltimore City Circuit Court.

The Maryland Judiciary website shows Alston had been in mental health court since 2022, with Judge Gale E. Rasin declaring him competent on April 3.

According to documents from the District Court of Maryland, Martin’s injuries from the assault at the gas station initially left him quadriplegic, but his condition continued to worsen until he eventually died on Jan. 19, 2021. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.

Surveillance footage from the gas station revealed four individuals beating and robbing Martin. Anne Arundel County Police Department officers identified Alston as one of the suspects.