Witness Captures Homicide on Camera

By Alyssia Davis [former] - October 12, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Victims |

As a trial continued on Oct. 8 for a 21-year-old Baltimore man accused of homicide, one witness testified that he provided the Baltimore Police Department with video that captured the fatal shooting from his surveillance cameras. 

Ulises Lopez is facing first-degree murder charges in connection to the alleged shooting of Sergio Jones on March 16, 2020, on the 400 block of S. Lehigh Street. 

In addition to two counts of first degree murder, Lopez is also charged with use of a firearm in a violent crime, illegal possession of a regulated firearm, possession of a firearm as a minor, having a loaded handgun in a vehicle, and having a loaded handgun on his person. 

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer is presiding over the trial.

During testimony on behalf of the prosecution, a witness who owns a property on the 400 block S. Lehigh Street said he has security cameras surrounding his home that record for 24 hours with visual and sound and store video for 10 days unless saved. 

The witness said he spoke to police regarding his video footage and provided the 35-minute video of the incident that was caught on camera. 

The prosecutor then showed the video to the jury. 

The defense questioned if the witness was present during the incident, to which he responded that he was present but did not see anything. 

Another witness who lived in Baltimore at the time of the incident was also called to testify on behalf of the prosecution. She said that during the incident, she heard what she thought to be her car motor popping. When she went to see what was going on, she said, she saw Jones laying on the ground. 

She told the court that she does not remember how Jones ended up on the ground. 

The defense questioned whether the witness remembered speaking to a detective two days after the incident, and she said she remembered telling officers that she heard the two pops while parking her car. 

Defense attorney Akiva Gross then provided a video of the witness’ interview with officers; however, after viewing the video, the witness claimed there were certain things she could not remember. 

The witness said she remembered telling the police that she saw the shooter run into an alley but did not remember hearing any car drive away. 

A third witness, who was another neighbor who lives close by the location of the incident, said that while looking for parking, he heard gunshots and when he looked back from inside his car, he saw Jones fall. 

He noted that he heard more than five shots and also saw a car as well as the person who shot the victim, describing the suspect as tall with dark hair, white skin, and weighing about 155 pounds. The alleged shooter was also wearing a black T-shirt, he said.  

The witness described the vehicle as a white car with dark tinted windows and that the weapon was a small silver gun. He also said that when he approached the victim, he saw that Jones had no visible weapon.

An assistant medical examiner also testified on Friday that he documented the victim’s injuries by taking pictures and writing detailed notes for his report. According to the medical examiner’s testimony, he initially took pictures of the victim’s body “as is” and examined the victim’s clothing.  

The medical examiner noted that the victim had numerous gunshot wounds on his body, including a gunshot wound to the back of his head. 

The prosecution questioned if the victim was shot from close range and whether there was evidence. The medical examiner replied that during the autopsy of Jones’ body, there was no visible evidence that would lead him to believe the victim was shot at close range. 

He then testified that a close-range shooting would include possible evidence from a bullet, gun powder, or anything that leaves marks on a person’s body. He also said that something as small as hair on the victim can prevent the medical examiner from determining a close-range shooting. 

When the prosecution questioned the victim’s cause of death, the medical examiner explained that the victim died from internal bleeding. 

During the cross-examination, Gross questioned the medical examiner about the time of Jones’ death, which the examiner said was around 3:44 p.m. 

He testified that the victim had seven gunshot wounds as well as lacerations and bruises. In addition, the medical examiner said that it was unknown when Jones sustained blunt force trauma. 

The trial is set to continue on Oct. 12.