Arizona Attorney General special agent Dulance Marciano Morin has been indicted on a felony negligent homicide charge over the fatal shooting of a Mesa mother in February.
A Maricopa County grand jury returned the indictment on 10 September, according to court documents. Morin is accused in connection with the death of 32-year-old Maria Ernestina Lewis, who was found with a gunshot wound outside his home.
Lewis, a mother of seven, was killed in the early hours of 28 February in a residential area near Ray Road and Inspirian Parkway in Mesa, Arizona. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mesa police identified Morin, 47, as being involved in the shooting and submitted a recommended negligent homicide charge to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in March. Detectives said their investigation included search warrants, interviews and forensic analysis.
Documents surrounding the case say Lewis had argued with her husband before going to Morin’s doorstep. Morin told investigators that she was banging on the door and that he warned her he had a gun before she claimed to be armed.
Morin said he did not remember the door opening or pulling the trigger, but acknowledged that the shot had been fired from his hand and described it as an accident.
He was placed on administrative leave after the shooting, but the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has since said he remains employed in an administrative role. The office has disputed the police recommendation, arguing that the evidence did not support a negligent homicide charge when considered alongside self-defence laws.
In a statement, the office said Attorney General Kris Mayes believes Morin is not guilty and will be acquitted. Morin is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
No trial date has been announced.
