Cousin to be charged in death

After the death of Tiffany Ross last week, her cousin will be charged Tuesday morning with second-degree murder.

Ross died a month after being shot in the head while sitting in a vehicle Feb. 10 near 33rd Avenue and Erskine Street. Police said she was not the intended target.

Michael L. Ross Jr., 26, will appear in court Tuesday morning. Chief Deputy Douglas County Attorney Brenda Beadle said Ross also will be charged with use of a weapon to commit a felony and felon in felon in possession of a firearm. He initially was charged with first-degree assault.

Michael Ross has said he didn't have a gun that day and couldn't have fired the shot that hit his cousin. He said he fled when someone started shooting at his car, and he didn't know that his cousin was nearby or that she was hit.

Ross said police blame him because of his criminal past which includes a 4½-year stint in prison for robbery, attempted robbery and use of a deadly weapon.

Tiffany Ross was about nine weeks pregnant at the time of the shooting. Her unborn baby died about a week after the shooting.

Michael Ross' girlfriend Takema Franklin, 24, is being sought by authorities. Beadle said a warrant was issued charging her with being an accessory to a felony. Previously, she faced that charge but it was dismissed last month after a witness failed to show up at court for a hearing. — Jason Kuiper

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