What started as a road trip to Baltimore to possibly purchase a car ended in tragedy for a car-loving teen from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who was fatally shot while driving away after deciding not to buy the vehicle, police say.
Carlos Carrazana Ricardo, 18, was killed after he and a friend made the 80-mile drive down to West Baltimore to see if they wanted to purchase a 2006 Acura TL they saw advertised on Facebook Marketplace. Born in Cuba, Ricardo was a senior at J.P. McCaskey High School in Lancaster and loved football in addition to cars, according to his obituary.
In court papers, Baltimore Police say Ricardo and his friend, whose name is redacted, had arranged to meet in the 2800 block of Harlem Avenue the evening of Nov. 26 about the 2006 Acura. There, sometime around 7:30 p.m., Ricardo and his friend met with two men, one of whom police have identified as 18-year-old Marques Harris.
Ricardo and his friend looked over the car and decided not to buy it and, as they drove away, gunfire rang out behind them, according to court records. Ricardo was driving and was shot in the head. His friend jumped into the driver’s seat and drove frantically, looking for help, before eventually crashing in the 2000 block of Winchester Street, according to court records. Police would later recover 19 casings from two different guns in the 2700 block of Harlem Avenue.
Medics took Ricardo to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he later died, according to police.
Police interviewed Ricardo’s friend and learned the identity of Harris, one of the would-be car sellers, and officers served a search warrant on Harris’ mother’s house where they said they found a Glock 9mm handgun among other items. Harris, in an interview with detectives, said he and his brother met with Ricardo and his friend about the car. After the two decided not to buy it, Harris told detectives he and his brother left the area and also heard the gunshots, according to court records.
In charging papers for Harris, police said surveillance footage from the area shows the car Harris and his brother were in leaving the scene of the shooting a minute after ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection device, detected the gunfire.
Harris is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and other gun charges. Because he is under 21, he cannot legally possess a handgun. Online court records do not list an attorney for Harris.
This article may be updated.
Correction: This story has been updated to clarify that Carlos Carrazana Ricardo was shot on Nov. 26 and was taken to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he later died.
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Lee O. Sanderlin is an Enterprise Reporter for The Baltimore Banner. Before joining The Banner, he worked at The Baltimore Sun as a reporter covering a wide array of topics, including stories about abusive politicians, sexual abuse, gun violence and legislative issues.
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