The suspect took arrest photo in her hospital gown looking grumpy like Gothika movie, Johana Martinez is charged with killing Lauren Foster. Johanaa has been getting in trouble for years, yet the District Attorney’s Office still hired her. DA Spencer Merriweather has been very soft when it comes to getting CMPD cops and U.S. Marshals arrested after they kill innocent people. Now the employees in his own office are killing people
Johana Martinez, 31, was arrested on March 31, 2026 accused of killing 38-year-old Lauren Foster in a wrong way crash on Interstate 85 in Charlotte, NC. Lauren was a popular real estate agent. Johana is a employee at the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, NC. Follow Charlotte Alerts on Instagram.
Johana was driving a SUV in the wrong direction of traffic on March 28, 2026 when she smashed head on into Lauren who was driving a BMW on I-85 at 3 a.m.
Lauren died on impact. Cops on scene say a strong odor of liquor and Modello beer was in the vehicle of Johana, cops say she smelled like alcohol. Johana allegedly admitted to consuming alcohol earlier, according to prosecutors. But Johana was not charged with DWI.
Johana was taken to the hospital in critical condition. After several days in the hospital, Johana was arrested in her hospital gown charged with felony death by vehicle. Johana had bags under her eyes and her face looked tired and grumpy, similar to the Gothika movie portraying mental health prisons for women.
Over the years throughout North Carolina Johana has been getting into trouble, she has been cited accused of marijuana possession, driving without a license, speeding, window tint violations, and other offenses on separate occasions. She lives in east Charlotte.
Yet with all of those questionable offenses under her name, the District Attorney’s Office still allowed her to keep a job with the district attorney. After this last arrest, Johana was recommended to be fired.
District Attorney Spencer Merriweather has been an embarrassment. The black community feels let down by Spencer Merriweather because he never finds cops at fault when they kill innocent black people, it is almost like he is soft when it comes to coming down on police.
Even appeals court judges both democrat and republican disagree with Spencer Merriweather’s decisions on police killing people.
A special prosecutor will prosecute the case against Johana.
The list keeps going with Spencer Merriweather’s soft stance decisions on holding police accountable. When a black man was killed by U.S. Marshals at a Citgo gas station in Charlotte, Spencer Merriweather refused to charge and seek arrest on the U.S. Marshal, saying the officer was correct and did not break the law.
