A man was arrested after traces of bird feces helped track him down following the shooting of a Detroit businessman, although his motive remains unknown.
Jasan Martin, 32, has been accused of climbing the fence of Eddie Jawad’s home on October 14 before shooting him. Martin fled from the scene shortly after in a Ford Escape and vanished from Macomb Township, Michigan.
The SUV was rugged for authorities to trace, since it was borrowed from a family member and had a license plate stolen from another car, authorities said.
When the vehicle was tracked down using traffic cameras on October 17, it sported a legal license plate and was in the possession of Martin’s relative, whose car had been borrowed during the crime.
To ensure the car they had located was the exact vehicle Martin had used, cops collected samples of bird poop from the wheel, brake dust from the wheel well, and analysed smudges on the Ford Escape.
"We were able to compare between the two vehicles — one with the bad license plate, one with the good license plate — to solidify that we had the right vehicle; that being the amount of brake dust on the wheels,” Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham told reporters. “There was a specific smudge on this vehicle in the same location, and it was actually bird poop in the exact same location on both vehicles.”
Martin was arrested on October 20, after police confirmed that the vehicle was the one used at the crime scene and that the suspect was in the area.
Prosecutor Peter Lucido says that Martin was already on his fourth offense notice, meaning he could spend the rest of his life in prison if he is convicted of the primary felony charges.
Martin is currently on parole for kidnapping, robbery, and assault with a dangerous weapon, according to Lucido, who spoke at the same press event as Wickersham.
Speaking at the press briefing, Wickersham alleged that Martin parked his vehicle near Jawad's home and entered the property by scaling a wall.
After hiding underneath a parked vehicle in Jawad’s driveway, Martin reappeared and shot at the victim, who is known to have managed construction projects in the area, according to Wickersham. Martin opened fire several times, hitting Jawad in his right leg before grazing his left leg with another bullet.
Martin has been charged with one count of assault with intent to murder, three counts of felony firearms, one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and one count of carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, according to Lucido.
He is currently being held on a $1 million bond and will need to wear a GPS tether if he can post bail.
Martin has pleaded not guilty to the crimes, according to the Detroit Free Press.
"The allegations against Martin are both shocking and appalling,” Lucido’s office said in a press release seen by the Detroit Free Press. “The idea that someone would attempt to kill a man in his own driveway, in broad daylight, is beyond comprehension.”
The Independent has contacted Peter Lucido and Macomb County police.
