Center Line man pleads no contest to murder in 2025 shooting, prosecutor says

A Michigan man pleaded no contest to charges resulting from a 2025 shooting in a Sterling Heights parking lot. 

Luke Svacha, 52, of Center Line, appeared on Monday in Macomb County Circuit Court, where he pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and felony firearm, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office said. 

The case involved the shooting death of Jajuan Marls, 24, who was found dead in the parking lot of the Extended Stay America hotel on Van Dyke Avenue on February 1, 2025. The prosecutor's office said Svacha shot and killed Marls. 

Svacha is scheduled for sentencing on September 9. As part of a sentencing agreement, Svacha will be sentenced to at least 22 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections, the prosecutor's officie said. 
 
"A life was taken far too soon, and this plea ensures accountability for the defendant's actions," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said. "Our office remains committed to delivering justice for the victim and his family."