Wichita police looking for motorcyclist in deadly hit-and-run
21 February 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A man who was arrested and later found guilty of first-degree murder during a drug deal gone wrong was sentenced on Tuesday.
Mugshot of Patricio Gomez from April 2022 (Courtesy: Sedgwick County Jail)
Patricio S. Gomez was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility in 620 months (51 years and 8 months), according to a District Attorney spokesperson. He was found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted distribution of heroin grams by a jury on Jan. 13.
The jury found him not guilty of attempted aggravated robbery with a dangerous weapon.
According to the Wichita Police Department, an investigation revealed that Gomez and a woman, Shae Roberts, met Michael Martinez, 42, to exchange drugs in September 2021 when a fight broke out between the two men at an extended-stay hotel in east Wichita.
Authorities say Gomez fired multiple shots at Martinez, killing him.
Roberts was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in October 2021. Gomez was found and arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents when his vehicle was found disabled in the Rio Grande.