An 18-year-old man has been arrested for aggravated assault after allegedly firing over a dozen rounds at an occupied vehicle in White Settlement on Saturday night, May 10, 2025.
At approximately 11:25 p.m., White Settlement Police Department officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 7800 block of Colton Drive near Ozona Avenue. Initial officers did not locate a victim at the scene. However, a short time later, they received a call from a man stating his car had been "shot up" and was disabled in the 8600 block of West Freeway (I.H. 30 westbound near S. Las Vegas Trail).
Officers located the victim, who was thankfully uninjured, and observed multiple bullet holes in his vehicle, with the rear glass shattered by gunfire. The car had become disabled due to the damage sustained while the victim was fleeing the shooting.
The victim reported that the shooting occurred in the 900 block of Ozona Avenue. Responding officers located fourteen shell casings and one bullet in that area.
Investigators learned that the victim had gone to the location to meet a female. Upon arrival, he reported seeing a man approach his vehicle holding what appeared to be an AR-style rifle. Fearing for his life, the victim fled in his car. As he drove away, the suspect allegedly discharged numerous rounds at the victim and his vehicle.
Investigators were able to obtain security footage of the incident, which, combined with information from the victim, led detectives to identify the shooter as 18-year-old RUBEN MARTINEZ III.
On Tuesday, May 14, 2025, at around 6:30 p.m., the White Settlement Police Department, with assistance from the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and the Combined Enforcement Narcotics Team (CNET), conducted surveillance that resulted in Martinez's arrest. He has been charged with Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon (2nd Degree Felony).
Following the arrest, a search warrant was executed at a residence in the 7800 block of Tacoma Drive, with the assistance of the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office. Detectives recovered the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting, as well as additional firearms and narcotics. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are possible.
White Settlement Chief of Police Christopher Cook condemned the suspect's actions, stating, "This case demonstrates the reckless disregard for the sanctity of life by discharging a gun over a dozen times towards an occupied vehicle and without any regard to the residents who live nearby. I want to commend our Criminal Investigations Unit for quickly identifying the shooter and getting the suspect in custody. I also want to thank the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office for their unwavering commitment in assisting smaller agencies on situations like these."
