Testimony continued into day three before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Anthony Vittoria in the Marvin Ortiz trial, 21, who is charged in connection with a March shooting on the 1200 block of Quantril Way. Baltimore Police officers testified about body camera footage, the investigation, and the recovery of a shell casing and a firearm from a nearby residence.
According to the charging documents, Baltimore Police responded to a shooting at a residence on the 1200 block of Quantril Way. Officers found a victim suffering a gunshot wound to the butt. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Investigators recovered 12 shell casings of two different guns near the residence.
The shooting allegedly stemmed from a dispute over a stolen dirt bike. According to the charging documents, the victim told detectives that a man in the front passenger seat of a white Honda Accord shot at him. The driver later told detectives that the victim shot at the vehicle first and that Ortiz returned fire. Also, the victim allegedly told detectives that he fired at the Honda and Ortiz had shot back.
A Baltimore Police sergeant who responded to the scene testified about her body camera footage and the investigation. She explained the purpose of body-worn cameras and said the footage couldn’t be altered or edited to her knowledge.
The footage presented in court showed the sergeant arriving at the scene, speaking to a man and a woman inside the residence, updating other officers and supervisors, and looking for shell casings near a vehicle. She testified that she remained at the scene for a considerable amount of time before the forensic unit arrived to recover evidence.
Another officer testified about the investigation, including the victim’s hospital interview and a search warrant for a white Honda Accord and the residence connected to the incident. Ortiz told investigators that he had been sitting in the front passenger seat at the time of the shooting and incident.
Additional body camera footage shows where a firearm was recovered from underneath a pile of clothes. The witness explained that officers wore gloves to avoid disturbing evidence, especially DNA evidence.
The trial is set to continue in the afternoon of Oct. 20 and into tomorrow, Oct. 21.
