Lexington police are searching for a fifth suspect in an August crime spree that ended in a fatal shooting. The case has produced charges against three young men plus a juvenile, and detectives told a court this week that one person connected to the violence has not been identified or caught.

What happened during the crime spree?

The violence unfolded overnight on Aug. 29, according to testimony at a preliminary hearing. A warrant alleges that Fields and two accomplices under 21 stole three cars by smashing driver's-side windows, then shot a woman in the hip on Ohio Street before driving to Cross Keys Road.

There, the group allegedly spotted a distinctive handgun on Kevin David Villanueva Gutierrez and opened fire, killing the 26-year-old. A juvenile traveling with the group was grazed in the head by a bullet, suffering a fractured skull and brain swelling. A detective said shell casings from the Ohio Street and Cross Keys Road scenes came from the same gun. The stolen getaway car was later found burning at Tates Creek Golf Course, and surveillance video showed suspects changing clothes and entering apartments on Centre Parkway.

Who has been charged so far?

  • Traisan Fields, 18, was booked Sept. 30 on a murder charge and 10 other counts, including arson and robbery.
  • Nolan Baker, 18, was arrested Oct. 1 and held on a $1 million bond on the murder charge.
  • Malachi Haynes, 20, was arrested Oct. 9 and also faces a separate 2025 shooting case.

Fields and Baker face the same 13 counts, and investigators recovered one gun on Fields and two more at Baker's home.

What other violence has hit Lexington?

Separately, Davonte Martese Kind, 25, of Thomasville, is charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the death of Robert Jermaine Thomas, 44, of Salisbury. Police were called to a party on South Talbert Boulevard early one Saturday and found Thomas wounded; he died at Lexington Medical Center. Kind, who had also been shot, was cleared at a Durham hospital and taken into custody there, according to reports.

In another case, a 21-year-old woman is asking a Fayette County judge to dismiss charges tied to a March incident in which her car struck pedestrians in a downtown parking lot. Her attorney argues she acted in self-defense; the judge is awaiting more evidence, including footage from the car's exterior cameras, by Nov. 9.

FAQ

Is the investigation still active?

Yes. Detectives are still gathering evidence and looking for the unidentified fifth suspect.

How can the public help?

Anyone with information can call Lexington police at 859-258-3600 or submit an anonymous tip to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers at 859-253-2020.