RahKeem Aziz Ortiz, 29, known as Smilez, was shot multiple times in broad daylight on August 17, 2020, in a public parking lot near South Warren and West Front streets in downtown Trenton. First responders transported him to a nearby hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Ortiz was a Hispanic man, a father, and an aspiring rap artist who shared music on social media.

The Mercer County Homicide Task Force led the investigation, collecting surveillance footage and witness statements that identified a suspect. Authorities named 29-year-old Arthur Ford of Trenton as the alleged gunman. Ford was located and arrested on August 25, 2020, by members of the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force at a family member’s home in Pocomoke, Maryland, and charged with murder and weapons offenses; he was held in Worcester County, Maryland, pending extradition to New Jersey. The motive for the shooting has not been released.

If anyone was in downtown Trenton near South Warren and West Front streets on August 17, 2020, or has information about Ortiz or the shooting, please share what is known.