Sheriff's Office makes arrest in July 29 Lorain killing

The Lorain County Sheriff's Office on Monday arrested a Lorain man on charges he shot and killed another man in Lorain last month. Jomar Perez, 21, of South Nantucket Drive, was being held without bond in the Lorain County Jail. He is charged with murder, a felony, in the July 29 shooting death of Robert Willis, 28, of North Ridgeville, according to a Sheriff's Office news release. The Major Crimes Task Force and SWAT team served arrest and search warrants on Perez and his home early Monday morning, the Sheriff's Office said. The news release said Perez was "the target of an ongoing task force investigation for his alleged involvement" in Willis' murder. Perez will be arraigned later this week on the murder charge in Lorain Municipal Court, according to the Sheriff's Office. Further information is expected to be released at a news conference today. Willis was shot and killed at about 9 p.m. July 29 in the 1700 block of Meister Road. Sheriff's deputies covering for Lorain city officers who were preparing for the following day's funeral of Lorain police Officer Phillip Wagner responded to the scene. Deputies found Willis shot behind the wheel of a car that had rolled several hundred yards before crashing. EMS transported him to Mercy Health Hospital in Lorain, where he died, according to the Sheriff's Office. The Lorain County Coroner's Office ruled Willis' death a homicide. Surveillance video images of a suspect in Willis' killing were released to the public, showing a thin person in dark or black clothing and white shoes. Sheriff's detectives then identified Perez as the alleged suspect following an investigation, but the Sheriff's Office did not say if or how the two men knew each other. Anyone with information may call the Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau at (440) 329-3875. Perez's criminal history is limited to a handful misdemeanor convictions including disorderly conduct, marijuana possession and traffic offenses in Lorain, Elyria and Avon Lake municipal courts in 2023 and 2024, according to online records. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.