Two individuals have been charged in the tragic murder of Edgar Martinez, a Connecticut teenager found wrapped in a blanket on the side of Pope Park Highway in Hartford, reported by the Daily Mail. Martinez was just days shy of his 19th birthday when his body was discovered early Saturday morning. Authorities believe he was killed a day prior inside an apartment on Magnolia Street, where he lived with his cousins, who are now suspects in the case.
An unidentified 17-year-old male has been charged with murder and tampering with evidence, while 21-year-old Sender Soto-Veliz faces charges of hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence. According to WTNH, Soto-Veliz’s bond has been set at $500,000, with arraignment scheduled for Wednesday morning. The juvenile suspect will be transferred to adult court for further proceedings.
The investigation began when officers from Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes and Crime Scene Divisions discovered gunshot wounds on Martinez’s body, indicating foul play. Evidence collected at the Magnolia Street apartment corroborated the crime, including details about the suspects and their vehicles. Later on Saturday, police located and apprehended the suspects as they were driving along Park Terrace.
Lt. Aaron Boisvert of the Hartford Police provided insight into the ongoing investigation, stating, “We are working on a couple of theories. The most prominent is there was some sort of disagreement in the apartment that went bad, which turned into a physical altercation, which turned into a homicide.”
Martinez’s family believes the murder may have been motivated by money, though they describe him as a person who always stayed out of trouble. “He stayed away from parties, [he was] very friendly,” his aunt Veronica Imelda Martinez Mayen told NBC Connecticut, recalling the alarm the family felt when Martinez didn’t show up for work on Thursday and Friday. Known as a caring individual, a hard worker, and a devoted big brother, Martinez’s absence left a significant void in his family’s life.
His sister, Nisma Martinez, remembered him with deep affection, saying, “He was the person who always took care of me, despite him not being OK. I’m going to remember him as the most beautiful person I could’ve ever known.”
As the investigation continues, Hartford Police are determined to uncover the full motive behind the senseless killing of a young man beloved by his family and friends.