A routine traffic stop that resulted in the discovery of a bullet hole in the vehicle led to the arrest of two Lafayette people early Saturday morning.
On Jan. 11, just after 1:30 a.m., an Indiana State Police trooper was patrolling the area of McCarty Lane near County Road 550 East in Tippecanoe County when he conducted a traffic stop on a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado for a traffic violation, authorities report. During the stop, the driver reportedly informed the trooper that their vehicle had been shot at shortly before the traffic stop, and the trooper allegedly observed what appeared to be a bullet hole in the side of the vehicle.
The trooper reportedly gathered information about a suspect vehicle and its occupants and relayed the information to other officers, leading to the Lafayette Police Department locating and conducting a traffic stop on a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee matching the suspect vehicle’s description, authorities report.
During the stop, a Tippecanoe County K-9 unit was utilized and alerted to the vehicle, and a subsequent search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a substance troopers believed was cocaine as well as keys to a Chevrolet Cruze.
As the investigation progressed, the trooper allegedly identified the area of County Road 800 East and State Road 38 to be the likely location of the shooting, and troopers reportedly recovered a spent firearm casing and located a Chevrolet Cruze, which troopers believe the keys found inside the Jeep belong to the vehicle.
The driver inside the Jeep, who was identified as Wendy Martinez, 27, of Lafayette, and passenger, who was identified as Daniel Martinez, 27, of Lafayette, were taken into custody and transported to the Tippecanoe County Jail.
Daniel Martinez faces preliminary charges of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, a level 6 felony, and Wendy Martinez faces preliminary charges of possession of cocaine, a level 6 felony.
The case remains as an active and ongoing investigation conducted by troopers from the Indiana State Police Lafayette Post. No further information is available at this time.
