OAK CREEK, Wis. — A Milwaukee man has been charged in the homicide investigation of a 22-year-old man who died after being found shot in his car in the parking lot of an Oak Creek apartment complex.
London Johnson, 29, has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide – PTAC, as a party to a crime, use of a dangerous weapon, according to a criminal complaint filed Jan. 27.
Day of the shooting
Oak Creek police officers were dispatched to the apartment complex just after 8 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23, near South 20th Street and West College Avenue, after numerous 911 calls reported seeing two vehicles exchanging gunfire.
Upon arrival, officers found 22-year-old Luis Ares shot in his car, with multiple bullet holes in his vehicle along with broken windows from apparent gunfire. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators found a trail of casings to the west of where Ares was found, stretching to 6485 South 20th Street. In total, investigators found 42 spent casings, as well as a handgun near a dumpster at the crime scene.
An autopsy revealed that he was shot four times, including once in the chest, the shot that proved fatal, according to the complaint.
Surveillance video captures shooting
Prosecutors say the shooting was captured on the apartment complex’s surveillance video.
The video allegedly shows Ares pull into the parking lot around 8:03 a.m. About a minute later, it allegedly shows a black Infiniti four-door sedan enter the lot and pull up next to Ares’ car.
That’s when prosecutors allege someone in the rear passenger seat stuck a rifle out of the window and began shooting at Ares’ vehicle. The video then shows Ares taking off westbound in his car, closely followed by the black Infiniti, with its passenger allegedly continuing to shoot at Ares’ vehicle.
The pursuit continues until prosecutors say Ares struck a parked car and a dumpster before ultimately crashing into a tree off camera, where he was later found by police.
The black Infiniti is then allegedly seen on video speeding away.
Video allegedly shows victim being followed from his home to the crime scene
Prosecutors say surveillance video near Ares’ residence in West Allis shows the same black Infiniti circling the block just an hour prior to the shooting.
Video allegedly shows the Infiniti remain in the area until around 7:42 a.m. before leaving. The complaint alleges that the black Infiniti followed Ares from his residence all the way to the Oak Creek apartment complex, where he was shot to death.
Search warrant
After searching for the vehicle using the Flock system, a camera network that captures images of license plates throughout Milwaukee County, investigators identified the license plate of a black Infiniti matching the one seen on the surveillance video.
A search warrant, along with phone records obtained by investigators, led them to Johnson, whose number was allegedly recorded at the same times and locations as the black Infiniti before and during the shooting.
Victim’s previous history with his alleged killers
Prosecutors say police received an anonymous tip claiming that a person identified in the complaint as “EC” was responsible for Ares’ death.
According to the complaint, the tip claimed that Ares was responsible for EC being shot in November of that year. It also claimed that EC’s brother was shot and killed Dec. 29, and that EC had a child with Ares’ sister.
Alleged incriminating phone calls
A review of calls made to Johnson’s phone allegedly revealed that he said he planned on buying an AR-style rifle just days before the shooting and that he switched his phone number afterward.
In a Dec. 30 phone call using a new number, Johnson allegedly said he had to “lay low” and that the “streets are hot.” He also allegedly claimed to have gotten a new car.
Arrest
Johnson was arrested at his home Jan. 23. During his arrest, police allegedly recovered the phone he used on the day of the homicide.
In an interview with investigators, he allegedly claimed to have lost his phone, but the length of time he claimed to have been without it changed several times.
He also allegedly gave conflicting statements about whether he had been in Oak Creek recently — first claiming he hadn’t been there in over a year, then later stating he may have been there after Christmas or New Year’s.
Johnson also allegedly claimed he had not been in West Allis in the past two months.
What’s next
Johnson was in court for an initial appearance Friday, Jan. 30, where a judge set his cash bond at $150,000.
He is due back in court Feb. 5 at 8:30 a.m.
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