Springfield man arrested in connection with fatal shooting

A 41-year-old Springfield man has been arrested in connection with a robbery gone wrong and charged with felony murder, four days after the shooting death of another man.

Pete Gonzalez was picked up Friday morning in the 800 block of Elder Street without incident, Springfield Police Chief Stephen P. Moody said. Members of the SOFAST Task Force, along with Springfield Police Division’s Narcotics and K-9 units, assisted with the arrest.

Officers have been searching for Gonzalez since the death of Springfield resident Mark Wells, 43, on Monday. He’s being charged with one count of felony murder.

“Community members called right away when they heard the gun shot and when they saw the people in the alley … That’s what we need — community involvement,” Moody said. “Community involvement is key to solving crime here.”

The incident stemmed from a robbery gone wrong, Moody said. The man who wound up dead was one of the alleged robbers, police say in a report filed with the warrant.

Nicole Nichols, 31, of Springfield, took a man to West Pleasant Street, police alleged, where the victim was then robbed by two men who entered his car, took money, a cell phone and his wallet. The victim was also assaulted, according to the court records.

When police were called to respond to the robbery, they found Wells dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the chest.

As police investigated they learned Wells, Nichols and Gonzalez had planned the robbery, the court affidavit alleges. At some point in the crime “a firearm came into play, and a single shot was fired that struck and caused the death of Wells,” police say in the report.

“We’ve made arrests and we still got a lot of work to do,” Moody said. “If we tie it to other incidents, we’ll certainly present that to the prosecution as well.”

Nichols was charged earlier this week with obstructing official business for reportedly lying in the investigation, police said. She pleaded not guilty to that charge but was in court again Thursday morning on a charge of aggravated robbery. She pleaded not guilty and her bond was set at $100,000. The Clark County Prosecutor’s Office will decide if she will receive more charges, Moody said.

The victim has been released from the hospital, Moody said.

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