Chicago man, 18, found guilty of killing man in Milwaukee Taco Bell parking lot during botched carjacking

The youngest person accused of killing a man who intervened during a failed carjacking attempt in a Milwaukee Taco Bell parking lot has been convicted of murder.

A Milwaukee County jury has found Tramaine Walton, 18, of Chicago, guilty of first-degree reckless homicide, accessory to a crime involving the use of a dangerous weapon, and other charges stemming from the May 5 shooting that killed Stanley Smith, Jr., 41.

The jury, consisting of seven men and five women, reached a verdict after less than 90 minutes of deliberation. The verdict will be on January 30.

Walton was 17 when the shooting occurred.

Three other men – Lamont D. Stanton, 19; Correnthis C. Neal, 18; and Jovani J. Velazquez, 31, all of Chicago – were also charged. Their cases are handled separately.

Assistant District Attorney Daniel T. Flaherty presented 37 witnesses and more than 90 pieces of evidence during the weeklong trial, including video footage from several surveillance cameras.

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Velazquez became a key witness in the case after reaching an agreement with prosecutors last month.

Velazquez, who prosecutors say drove off the other defendants that day, agreed to plead guilty to attempted armed robbery as part of a crime, fleeing or eluding an officer and possession of a machine gun and a prison sentence of 15 years.

Velazquez testified against Walton at trial, portraying him as a willing participant in both the robbery and shooting.

Here’s what prosecutors say happened

The shooting occurred on May 5, shortly after 6 p.m., in the parking lot of Taco Bell, located at 5630 W. North Ave. The incident began at a nearby bar, Scene 1 Restaurant & Lounge, located at 5526 W. North Ave.

According to a criminal complaint, Smith was sitting at the bar and parking in a Taco Bell parking lot. The DJ announced that people were breaking into cars outside. That led to customers, including Smith, running from the bar to their vehicles.

A witness described Smith as having a “fight” with masked men before gunshots rang out, leaving him lying motionless in the parking lot, the complaint said.

Jurors were shown surveillance footage of the incident. The video showed four men getting out of a car and approaching a white Jeep SUV in the parking lot next to Smith’s vehicle. Soon more people came out of the bar and the four men scattered.

Moments later, three of the men held their arms up as if pointing their guns while the fourth person engaged in a physical struggle with Smith, according to the complaint.

Shots were later fired before the men drove away in a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee. Police found shell casings from several different weapons at the scene, the complaint said.

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Earle said no fingerprints or DNA found at the scene linked Walton to the crime. He argued that the video evidence was too blurry to definitively prove his client was involved.

Earle urged jurors to be skeptical of Velazquez’s testimony, saying his deal with prosecutors made him “not a credible witness.”

Looking ahead – What’s next for the other men charged in the case?

Neal has a plea hearing scheduled for Nov. 7. A status conference for Stanton is scheduled for Nov. 20.

Velazquez has a status conference scheduled for Jan. 10.

The number of car thefts in Milwaukee has increased this year

According to Milwaukee police data, there have been 5,254 reported car thefts so far this year. That number is 3% higher than the same period in 2023, when a total of 6,277 such thefts were reported.

In 2022, 8,099 vehicles were stolen in the city.

A April report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau said vehicle thefts continue to rise nationwide, with more than 1 million reported thefts by 2023. Kia and Hyundai vehicles were among the most stolen.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Chicago man found guilty of killing man in Milwaukee Taco Bell parking lot