MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — A man charged in connection with a shooting outside a Middletown bar will appear July 17 for his preliminary hearing in Middletown Municipal Court, according to records.
Juan Pablo Hernandez, 21, was arrested by Middletown police last week and charged with felonious assault for his alleged involvement in a July 3 shooting outside J-Rocks Bar on Tytus Ave.
His preliminary hearing was continued Monday and his bond was set at $50,000 with a 10% rule. He remains in the Middletown City Jail.
After the shooting, police said they were looking for two suspects who allegedly shot two people in the parking lot of J-Rocks Bar. One victim was shot in the head, though Sgt. Earl Nelson said the injury didn’t appear to be life-threatening. That 42-year-old man was taken to Atrium Medical Center, and then on to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.
A hospital official said the man wasn’t listed as a patient there.
While police were investigating the shooting, they learned another male was at Kettering Health Middletown with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the police report.
Nelson said a fight in the bar spilled out into the parking lot, and that’s when the shots were fired. He said police are searching for two or three suspects in the shooting.
Police said one suspect’s vehicle fled the scene, then crashed and he fled on foot. Officers attempted a K-9 track that was unsuccessful, they said.
Police are still looking for Matthew Andrew Martin, 26, identified as one of the alleged shooters. Warrants for felonious assault have been issued for his arrest, according to police.
A woman who lives near the bar told the Journal-News she heard four shots, then a possible car crash. She said police have responded to the bar several times over the last year.
The Journal-News checked the calls for service at or near the bar’s address and found police have been called there 33 times in 2023 for a wide range of reasons. July 3 was the first time this year police have been there on a report someone was shot, according to records.
While the neighbor said she supports small business, she said nearby residents don’t feel safe.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Detective Kristi Hughes at 513-425-7733 or Detective Patrick Glassburn at 513-425-7724.
The Journal-News is a media partner of WCPO.com
Watch Live:
