Aurora Tattoo Artist Slaying Suspects Still Await Trial

October 20th, 2009 · No Comments

Aurora Tattoo Artist Slaying Suspects Still Await Trial
By Brandon Johansson
Published : October 21, 2009

AURORA, CO – While his two friends distracted a tattoo artist, Marquise Irvin snuck up behind the man and shot him twice, according to an arrest affidavit filed against one of the four people arrested in connection with the December slaying.

Irvin, 24, along with Kenneth Jefferson, 21, and Oladayo Ayo, 27, have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the December slaying of Oscar Mendez at an apartment near East 13th Avenue and Chambers Road. All three are behind bars awaiting trial.

Temeka Portis, 25, has been charged with being an accessory to murder and is free on $10,000 bond.

Police announced the arrests of the four suspects early this month.

According to an arrest affidavit filed against Portis, Irvin shot Mendez after a dispute involving a tattoo Mendez gave him Dec. 13 at Irvin’s apartment.

The accounts from the defendants as well as Mendez’s friends vary as to what exactly the dispute was about, but each witness police interviewed said the dispute started after Mendez gave Irvin the tattoo, which depicted a cross with a ribbon on it.

According to Irvin’s account, he planned to pay Mendez $180 for tattoo, money he said he planned to earn by selling crack cocaine.

Irvin said that while Mendez tattooed him, Mendez’s friends were in the apartment “drunk and acting stupid.” Mendez asked Irvin to give his friends a $20 piece of crack so they would go outside and smoke it.

A few minutes later, Mendez stepped outside the apartment to smoke a cigarette with his friends and when he returned, he was angry with Irvin.

Mendez later accused Irvin of giving his friends bad crack and refused to finish the tattoo.

Irvin said Mendez and his friend then pulled out knives and slashed Irvin’s hand, causing it to bleed profusely. Irvin told police that because he takes a blood thinner and because he was high on ecstasy that night, he passed out because of the bleeding.

Irvin told police it was either Jefferson or Ayo who later killed Mendez.

While Irvin, Richardson and Portis told police Mendez and his friends attacked Irvin with a knife, Mendez’s friends never mention a knife attack in their interviews with police.

Mendez’s friends told police that the argument started because Irvin refused to pay for the tattoo.

One of Mendez’s friends told police that after the fight over the tattoo, Irvin, Ayo and Richardson went to Mendez’s apartment, which is near Irvin’s apartment.

The three were upset about the earlier fight and were looking for Mendez, the friend said.

Jefferson and Ayo confronted Mendez and his friends in a hallway, the friend said, while Irvin approached from behind. The friend said he saw Irvin’s reflection in a window but by time he saw him, it was too late and Irvin shot Mendez.

Irvin is serving a five-year sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections’ Crowley County Correctional facility on drug and assault charges, according to state records.

Irvin was sentenced to DOC on Sept. 28, just a few days before Aurora police charged him in connection with Mendez’s slaying.

Irvin, Jefferson and Ayo have been charged with first-degree murder and second-degree burglary, police said. They are each due in court later this month.

Jefferson and Ayo are being held in the Arapahoe County Jail without bond. Portis has been charged with being an accessory to first-degree murder and being an accessory to second-degree burglary.

Source : The Aurora Sentinel