In the early morning hours of November 13, 2019, a tragic series of events unfolded in a Kansas City, Missouri neighborhood that would claim the life of 51-year-old Ricardo Ortiz. Ortiz, a male resident of the area, was out walking his dog near Linwood Boulevard and Charlotte Street before 7 a.m. when he apparently discovered someone attempting to break into or steal his Chevrolet Suburban.
It was a confrontation that proved fatal.
According to accounts from law enforcement and court documents, Ortiz had called his wife shortly before the shooting to tell her that he was following an individual who had just broken into his vehicle. Responding to a medical call, police officers found Ortiz in the street with a gunshot wound to his leg. He was transported to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injury. Investigators at the scene found the rear driver's side window of Ortiz's SUV shattered and the steering column appeared to have been tampered with, corroborating the initial belief that the incident began as a vehicle break-in.
The investigation into Ricardo Ortiz's death quickly focused on identifying a suspect. Police released images to the public of a 'subject of interest' and utilized surveillance footage from nearby homes and businesses. These efforts led them to identify 25-year-old Malcolm P. Weston as the primary suspect. Eight days after the fatal shooting, Weston was taken into custody by authorities. At the time of the homicide, Weston was reportedly on probation for two separate cases.
Following his arrest, Malcolm P. Weston was charged by the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office with a litany of offenses related to the death of Ricardo Ortiz. The charges included second-degree felony murder, two counts of armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, and property damage. When he was initially apprehended, Weston was also facing charges for a separate carjacking incident, including first-degree robbery, armed criminal action, vehicle tampering, resisting arrest, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
