Arkansas Man Accused Of Shooting Homeowner During Burglary Gone Wrong, Authorities Say

An Arkansas man was apprehended in connection to the fatal shooting of a homeowner whose residence was burglarized, authorities said.

Around 9:45 a.m. on May 6, Uriel Martinez, 18, and Veronica Venegas were allegedly caught at a Benton County residence, where Joseph Cuneo was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head and Martinez was in possession of a rifle, KNWA/KFTA reported, citing a probable cause report.

Martinez and Venegas took off in the shooting victim’s vehicle, police said.

The two later ditched the stolen vehicle and were tracked down by a sheriff’s deputy after they were spotted breaking into a second home, according to the report.

According to the deputy, Martinez refused to comply with the deputy’s commands and yelled he wanted to be killed.

The deputy and the homeowner got into a physical altercation with Martinez, who was subdued and handcuffed. A .223-caliber bullet allegedly found in Martinez’s pocket matched a casing as well as a live round found at the murder scene, the report states.

The second suspect, Venegas, was able to flee on foot while the deputy was fighting Martinez.

Martinez was charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery.

Police have not said if the second suspect was taken into custody or charged in connection to the incident.