On January 25, 2024, Wilfredo Artiles, a 61-year-old man, was fatally shot outside the Studio 60 nightclub in Allapattah, Miami. Artiles had been working at the nightclub, which was closed for renovations, from 8 p.m. on January 24 until after midnight. The incident occurred when Nathaniel Martin, a 44-year-old man from Miami Gardens, shot Artiles several times.
The shooting was detected by a ShotSpotter alert at 12:24 a.m., prompting police officers to respond to the scene.
Upon arrival, they found Artiles slumped over the wheel of his white 2023 Hyundai Palisade. Martin had fled the scene on foot. Miami Fire Rescue personnel rushed Artiles to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Following the shooting, Martin was seen on surveillance video searching Artiles’s vehicle, stealing his iPhone and car keys, and attempting to wipe away his fingerprints. However, crime scene investigators recovered Martin’s fingerprint on the outside of the Hyundai Palisade’s driver-side door. Additional evidence included photos of Martin on Facebook wearing the same outfit he had on during the incident, and detectives noted that Martin was left-handed, consistent with the manner in which the shots were fired.
Nathaniel Martin was arrested on February 25, 2024, and charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, armed burglary, and use of a firearm while committing a felony in connection with Artiles’s death. At the time of his arrest, Martin was already out on felony bond for other charges, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell, and trespassing. Martin’s extensive arrest record dates back to 2001 and includes charges such as marijuana possession, armed robbery, and domestic battery by strangulation. He was held at the Metro West Detention Center without bond.
