Lorain police name victim in fatal Easter shooting, accused gunman arraigned

LORAIN — Police have identified the victim in a fatal shooting Sunday night. Officers were called to the 6100 block of Meadow Farm Lane at about 8:37 p.m. on Easter, where they found Jose Marrero, 38, of Lorain, lying in the roadway with a fatal gunshot wound. Steve Coleff, 35, of Lorain was charged with murder after police say he admitted to being the gunman. He appeared by video in Lorain Municipal Court on Monday afternoon for his arraignment, where Judge Mark Mihok set a $1 million cash bond. Attorney Michael Stepanik was retained to represent Coleff. His next appearance at a preliminary hearing is set for April 13. Lorain police Capt. Roger Watkins said Monday neither the defendant nor the victim resided in the Deerfield Estates neighborhood where the shooting happened. Watkins declined to provide a possible motive for the killing at this time. Police are not expecting to have any more suspects in the case, he added. A firearm believed to have fired the fatal shot was recovered from the scene Sunday night. Marrero's cousin Consuelo Ramirez said Monday he was house-sitting at her residence when the shooting occurred. She had been out of town on vacation. Although they were second cousins, Ramirez said Marrero was more like "the big brother I never had, even though he was younger than me." "He always helped me out with anything. If there was anything me or my parents needed, all we had to do was call and he would come fix anything," she said. Marrero, a lifelong Lorain resident, was a handyman who loved shooting pool, fishing, playing chess and collecting comic books in his spare time, according to his cousin. On holidays, Ramirez said Marrero had to go from house to house, eating a little bit at each stop, because every member of the family wanted him at their place. Even though he sometimes "used to get himself into trouble," Ramirez said, Marrero was inspired to make positive changes in his life when his daughter Sophia, now 9, was born. He also leaves behind a son, Nick, who Ramirez said currently lives out of state. "He loved his daughter, he loves his son," she said. "He was friendly with everybody." A fundraiser has been set up online to help pay for Marrero's funeral expenses. It is accessible through GoFundMe at gofund.me/66d9be1e. Kristin Bauer contributed to this report. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com.