Pueblo coroner identifies victim found in creek last week. Police say homicide suspect arrested with severed hand in his pocket
The 26-year-old security guard was arrested at work on suspicion of first-degree murder in the death of the 47-year-old woman, whose body was discovered in Fountain Creek.
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Pueblo coroner identifies victim found in creek last week. Police say homicide suspect arrested with severed hand in his pocket
By The Associated PressJan. 19, 2024, 8:48 am
A man suspected of killing a woman in Pueblo had a severed hand in his pocket when he was arrested, according to police.
Solomon Martinez, a security guard, was arrested at work on suspicion of first-degree murder in the death of the woman, whose body was discovered in a creek Jan. 10, the Pueblo Chieftain reported this week.
An officer found the hand in a plastic bag inside a chest pocket of his jacket, according to Martinez's arrest affidavit, and police believe it belonged to the woman.
Martinez, 26, allegedly told police it had been in his jacket for two days but denied killing the woman.
An unidentified witness, described as the friend of Martinez's roommate, told police that Martinez drove to Fountain Creek and dragged what appeared to be a woman's body down to the creek bed, according to the affidavit.
The victim has been identified as Renee Portillos, 47, of Pueblo by the coroner's office. The coroner said her body was discovered in Fountain Creek near Montebello and Mohawk roads.
Martinez is represented by lawyers from the state public defender's office, which does not comment on its cases.
Stephanie Rivera contributed to this report.
Pueblo police say homicide suspect had severed hand in his pocket when arrested
A Pueblo homicide suspect arrested last week after a woman's body was found in Fountain Creek allegedly had a severed hand in his pocket when arrested.
www.chieftain.com
Pueblo police say homicide suspect had severed hand in his pocket when arrested
Justin ReutterPueblo Chieftain
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Editor's note: This story contains graphic depictions of violence that may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.
A Pueblo man arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder last week had a severed hand in his coat pocket at the time of his arrest, according to Pueblo police.
Solomon Martinez, 26, was arrested after police were tipped off about a body in Fountain Creek, according to a Pueblo Police Department arrest affidavit.
Police announced on Jan. 11 that officers were called to Fountain Creek just south of Highway 47 around 3:45 p.m. on Jan. 10 on a report of a homicide. Upon arrival, they found a woman dead in the creek.
The Chieftain is not releasing the name of the victim at this time, as she has not yet been publicly identified by the Pueblo County coroner. Identification will be made after her next of kin has been notified.
According to the affidavit, Martinez’s roommate told police that before 5 a.m. on Jan. 9, he was at a carwash near Troy Avenue and Constitution Road, using the lighting of one of the stalls to work on his vehicle, when Martinez arrived.
The roommate claimed that Martinez had visible dirt on his clothing and blood on his hand and that Martinez washed the blood off with a pressure washer hose. The roommate claimed Martinez asked him to dig a 10-foot hole for him.
The roommate told police he then asked to borrow some tools from Martinez. He said Martinez did not allow him to access the trunk of his vehicle to get the tools, but he observed Martinez struggling with "something big" to get it out of the way and retrieve them.
A second witness, a friend of the roommate’s, reported to police that Martinez made several comments on Jan. 9 about needing to dig a hole 6 to 10 feet deep.
That witness stated that on the morning of Jan. 9, he was with Martinez and the roommate. He said that after the roommate returned home and he was alone with Martinez, Martinez drove the vehicle in which they were traveling to Mohawk Road, parked, and dragged what appeared to be a woman’s body down to the creek bed.
The witness told police that Martinez asked him to help, but he refused, despite Martinez allegedly threatening him with a handgun.
The witness stated that the woman had been decapitated but that her head was with the body. He said Martinez left the scene, at which point he recorded a video of the body to “cover for himself” and covered the body with a blanket because he “didn’t know what else to do.”
The witness then showed "several people" the video of what he witnessed, including Martinez's roommate who’d been with them earlier that day.
The video was also reviewed by police. It allegedly showed blood around the body and hands, and the body was without a head.
Police said in the affidavit that they learned Martinez was at work at a local security business that day. They responded to the business and arrested him.
Upon making the arrest, a police officer found a human hand inside a plastic bag inside the left chest pocket of Martinez's jacket, according to the affidavit. Police believe the hand belongs to the woman who was found dead in the creek.
Martinez's vehicle also had apparent bloodstains inside it, including under the trunk lid and on the passenger exterior side of the vehicle.
When questioned by police, Martinez allegedly stated that the hand had been in his jacket for two days.
He blamed the murder on the witness who initially came forward to police and recorded the video, and claimed that the witness had asked him to pick up the hand, according to the affidavit.
Martinez also claimed that the witness had "borrowed his vehicle," which also had his gun and phone inside at the time. The vehicle was returned early in the morning on Jan. 9, Martinez claimed to police.
Martinez stated that the night before, he had picked up a woman who he recognized through photographs as the victim, but stated he dropped her off safely later that night. He claimed that the original witness, whom he blamed for the murder, must have found her and killed her while driving Martinez's car on Jan. 9.
Martinez denied any knowledge of a body and stated that he did not kill or dismember anyone.
Police noted that Martinez also had cuts on his wrists and hands, which he initially claimed were from Chihuahuas but later claimed came from small rocks while picking up after his dog, the affidavit alleges.
When asked why he washed his hands with the pressure hose, he stated he was a "germaphobe," according to the affidavit.
When asked if his cell phone would provide incriminating evidence, Martinez said, "Probably, I am afraid to know." However, he stated that his phone was left in his car when the witness allegedly borrowed it.
The police officer who authored the affidavit wrote that he believed Martinez was being deceitful throughout the interview, as he had difficulty remembering locations and times and was inconsistent with information and evidence police already knew.
Martinez allegedly stated during the interview that he was nervous. His hands and legs were shaking for most of the nearly three-hour interview, police claimed, and his voice was high-pitched at times.
Martinez was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and is being held at the Pueblo County jail on a $1 million cash-only bond. He will make an official first appearance in the court of Allison P. Ernst on Wednesday.
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.
Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter@jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
