Kansas City man fatally shot tow truck driver on the job, court records allege
A Kansas City man has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a tow truck driver, court records show.
Josue Ceniceros-Angel faces second degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon charges in Jackson County Circuit Court. Investigators allege he shot a tow truck driver when they were attempting to tow one of his vehicles.
Officers responded just after noon April 12 to Troost Avenue and East 27th Street on a reported shooting. They found a black Ford F250 pickup truck, with a tow arm attached to the bed, facing north on Troost parked partially on a curb.
Witnesses told police they saw the tow truck strike the rear of a parked Jeep there. When they went to check on the driver, they discovered he had been shot, according to court documents.
The driver of the tow truck was still in the vehicle when officers arrived, suffering from a gunshot wound in his torso near his armpit, police said in a probable cause statement.
Paramedics transported the driver to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Police later identified the deceased man as Marcus Gammage, 51.
Witnesses describe shooting aftermath
A witness told police that after she called 911, she saw a black Mercedes pull up behind the truck. She allegedly saw three men exit the Mercedes, approach the tow truck and have a tense interaction with the driver, police said.
When officers arrived, two of the Mercedes’ occupants got back in the car and left the scene, but the third did not and left in another direction.
Officers later contacted a man claiming to be Gammage’s brother, police said. They met the man at 47th and Troost, where he was standing next to the same Mercedes from the initial call scene. The Mercedes was a reported-stolen vehicle, police said.
After police showed the man surveillance footage of the Mercedes following a white tow truck, towing a reported stolen Chevrolet, the man said the shooting happened near a residence as Gammage was picking up vehicles requested to be towed.
A pickup truck was reported stolen around the same time as the shooting. It was reported being taken by a white Ford tow truck.
Police later contacted a man who said his brother, Ceniceros-Angel, was the one who reported the truck stolen. As police spoke to Ceniceros-Angel on the phone, they allegedly noticed several spent shell casings at the address where he lives, according to court documents.
Ceniceros-Angel’s interview with police
In a phone call with police, Ceniceros-Angel allegedly told officers he saw two tow trucks attempting to steal his Chevrolet truck that was parked in his backyard. He said he saw one white tow truck and one that was a darker color, police said.
He told police he saw his truck hooked up to the white tow truck and that he ran outside as the trucks fled down the alley, according to court records. Ceniceros-Angel told police he heard a noise that made him think the tow truck drivers were shooting at him or that their trucks backfired.
Ceniceros-Angel allegedly told police over the phone that he didn’t shoot at anyone, according to court records.
On April 16, Ceniceros-Angel was taken into custody and interviewed by police. At that time, he confirmed he reported the truck stolen and was upset for unknown people “messing with it,” according to court documents.
He told police he just woke up when he heard an engine revving. When he looked out the window, he saw his truck attached to a tow truck.
Detectives told him they had more information about what happened, and at that time, Ceniceros-Angel reportedly requested an attorney.
A warrant was issued for Ceniceros-Angel’s arrest Thursday, with a $100,000 cash-only bond. Jackson County jail records showed he was not yet in custody as of Friday morning.
There are no court dates scheduled yet in the case.
