Cedric Gray
RACINE -- Two cousins are facing homicide charges, accused in the shooting death of a woman's ex-boyfriend and co-worker, which was caught on camera in Racine.
Michael Lyons Jr., 34, of Racine faces one count of first degree intentional homicide, as party to a crime, repeater, use of a dangerous weapon. Cedric Gray, 32, faces one count of first degree intentional homicide, as party to a crime, repeater, use of a dangerous weapon, and one count of possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a felony, repeater, as party to a crime.
They're accused in the death of Tremayne Brown, which happened on Sunday, March 18 near Arlington Ave. and Kearney Ave. in Racine. Police said officers responded to the area shortly after 10:30 p.m. for reports of shots fired.
Additional calls were received about a possible crash involving a minivan that struck a tree.
Upon arrival, officers located a Dodge Caravan in the front yard of a home. The operator of the Caravan, Brown, was inside and unresponsive -- pronounced dead at the scene.
Michael Lyons Jr.
The medical examiner determined Brown died as a result of being shot.
According to a criminal complaint, a witness reported hearing a shot, and saw a van headed southbound on Taylor Ave. After the van was out of sight, two more shots were heard, and a vehicle was heard speeding off.
Another witness said he and his son were out on their porch and saw a black male, standing approximately 5'10" tall and weighing 200 pounds, with short dreadlocks, wearing a brown puffy coat and camo pants -- standing near Arlington and Taylor. He said a van pulled up, and this man approached the passenger side and appeared to be talking to the driver. The man then pulled a gun from his pocket and fired two shots into the van, toward the driver, before the van sped off and the man walked away.
A third witness corroborated the second witness' story.
The complaint says the incident was captured by a home or business surveillance camera. The video showed two black males walking and talking at Arlington and Taylor when a van drove by. The video showed a man in a puffy coat firing a round at the van -- with the gunshot clearly heard on video. The complaint says the video showed a man in a hoodie walked away, while the man in the puffy coat was seen walking back into view as the van returned. The van pulled up and the man in the puffy coat walked over to the passenger window of the van and could be heard saying something to the driver. At this point, the video clearly showed the man in the puffy coat pull out a gun, point it into the van and fire two shots. The van pulled away at the same time the video captured a scream. The man in the puffy coat then walked out of sight.
Homicide in Racine (PHOTO: Tyler Kudulis)
According to the complaint, an individual who was with Brown earlier that night said he got a call from an ex-girlfriend, who said he could come over to retrieve some items from her home.
Investigators spoke with that ex-girlfriend, who indicated she and Brown were co-workers as well, and on March 15, there was a physical altercation at work. She said on March 18, the night of the homicide, there was a fight at her home between Brown and Michael Lyons -- another ex of hers. She said during the fight, Brown hit Lyons over the head with a beer bottle. She said she broke up the fight, and Brown left.
According to the complaint, the ex said after the fight, Lyons called another individual to her home (Cedric Gray), and they both left together. She said later, Lyons showed up at her home again, and asked her to drive him home, which she did. He then asked her to bring him back to her home, because he thought he left a bag of marijuana there, the complaint says.
The next day, on March 19, the complaint says the woman indicated she received a call from Lyons, who said something to the effect of "it is dones" or "it is taken care of," and "I did it for you; I have to leave town now."
The complaint says Lyons' cousin, Cedric Gray, an individual he's known to associate with, was identified as the individual who shot the gun into the van.
The complaint notes that Cedric Gray has convictions dating back to 2010, for battery by an inmate and felon in possession of a firearm.
Lyons was convicted of battery in 2014, and unlawful use of a phone in 2015.
Lyons made his initial appearance in court on March 27. Probable cause was found for further proceedings. Online court records show an arrest warrant was issued for Gray on March 22.