Charges: Spurned lover accused in deadly shooting of former lover's husband

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis man charged with murder is accused of shooting the husband of his former lover in the back during a deadly confrontation this week.

Orky Xayachack, 37, was charged on Wednesday in the deadly shooting on the morning of Monday, Nov. 20. The criminal complaint says the victim, identified by the medical examiner as 31-year-old Ricardo Pena Martinez, was the husband of a woman who had been in a romantic relationship with Xayachack.

Pena Martinez was found shot in a parking lot off of the 1900 block of Chicago Avenue around 9:30 a.m. on Monday. Police said Pena Martinez was lying on the ground and had been shot in the back. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died.

A witness told police they had heard a shot from their apartment, looked out the window, and saw an SUV drive away. The witness then ran out to try to help the victim. According to the charges, police then spoke with Pena Martinez's wife, who told them she knew who had killed her husband.

According to the complaint, Martinez's wife told police that she and Pena Martinez had been married for several years but had been through a rough patch recently, including a period of separation.

During the couple's time apart, the wife said she had begun a relationship with Xayachack, who she suspected in the shooting. However, the wife said she broke up with Xayachack when she and her husband had reconciled.

According to the charges, Pena Martinez's wife said Xayachack was enraged after being spurned. She said that Xayachack was so angry that he had threatened to kill the couple in a text message before the shooting. After the shooting, the wife said that Xayachack had sent another message, saying he had "f---ed up Martinez."

In the charges, police say the SUV was registered to another man, not Xayachack. Ultimately, they were able to track the SUV from the crime scene back to an address in St. Paul, which led investigators to Xayachack, who was found driving a blue Acura. Police say Xayachack was carrying a Ruger pistol when he was arrested. A discharged casing found in the SUV matched the caliber of the pistol.

The charges also allege that Xayachack was wearing clothing matching what the shooter was wearing at the crime scene.

Speaking with the SUV's owner, police say the man told them that Xayachack had asked to borrow his SUV but did not explain why he needed it.

Xayachack faces charges of second-degree murder and possession of a firearm. Police say Xayachack was not allowed to own a weapon due to a previous conviction for making threats in 2017.