Aug 18, 2022 2 min read

A Washington man accused of firing shots into another car during a drive-by shooting last month was ordered to stand trial in the case, while prosecutors also added more charges against him.

Russell I. Porter, 26, is accused of leaning out his car window July 26 to fire up to six gunshots into a nearby car in the 100 block of East Wylie Street in the city, although no one was injured.

The driver of the other vehicle, Bailey Batch, testified during Porter’s preliminary hearing Wednesday that she saw him holding a weapon and firing it.

“He was holding something in his hand,” Batch told the court. “He was out (of the window) enough to get someone’s attention.”

She testified she was at a red light on East Wylie Avenue trying to turn left when the gunshots rang out, prompting her to drive through the intersection to get away. She later found numerous gunshot holes in her car on the passenger side, including damage to her brakes from the incident.

“I couldn’t stop anymore,” Batch said. “I had to push down with everything in me to brake to make (the car) stop.”

A vehicle in a nearby store’s parking lot was also hit by the gunfire.

Deputy District Attorney John Friedmann said investigators do not think Batch was the target of the shooting, although a man with her in the car knew Porter. He said there is “no firm motive” for the shooting, but the passenger may have been the target.

Porter was arrested July 28 while sitting in a parked car in Chartiers Township with another man, Jamil Carr, 23, of Washington, who is charged with the shooting death of 19-year-old Antonio Nelson Martinez outside Jollick Manor last month. The two shootings do not appear to be linked, and it was not known how Porter and Carr know each other.

Porter was facing charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment, but Friedmann amended the criminal complaint before the hearing to add an additional count for each charge because another person was in the vehicle with Batch.

District Judge Kelly Stewart ordered Porter to stand trial on all charges and denied his request for bail. He has been held at the Washington County jail without bond since his arrest.