Teen found dead under blanket in gruesome murder, attempted cover-up, allegedly shot by cousin: Warrant

The man is accused of falsifying evidence in murder of a teenager whose body was found in a blanket in Hartford over the weekend, told authorities the teenager was allegedly shot by a family member during a fight in the apartment the three shared, according to an arrest warrant.

The sender, Soto-Veliz, 21, claimed he received a phone call from his 17-year-old brother around 12:20 a.m. last Friday, urging him to come home because their cousin, Edgar Martinez, 18, died, police said. in an affidavit.

When Soto-Veliz arrived at the apartment building on Magnolia Street, he told detectives he hesitated before entering the unit, not knowing what he was getting into, the warrant said. When the 17-year-old called him again, he allegedly said he shot Martinez during a fight, according to the warrant.

Soto-Veliz told detectives that when he entered the basement apartment, he noticed the teenager had already cleaned it, the warrant states. He allegedly admitted it was his idea to dump the body off Pope Park Highway, police wrote in the warrant affidavit.

Police responded to the highway just before 7:20 a.m. Saturday after receiving a report that a body had been found wrapped in a blanket and sheets. Officers found the body behind a rock about 10 to 15 feet from the road. The teenager was identified through his fingerprints as Martinez, who would have turned 19 on Thursday, the warrant said.

Martinez’s body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy. A preliminary autopsy revealed he suffered gunshot wounds to the head, according to the warrant.

While police were still on the scene, the police department received a missing person report from a family member of Martinez who said they had not been able to contact him since Nov. 7 and that he had not been showing up for work, the statement said under oath. . The caller said they had already sent officers to Martinez’s apartment several hours earlier, and that they were calling again after being sent surveillance video from the homeowner where Martinez lived.

The footage allegedly shows two men carrying what appears to be a body wrapped in a blanket out of the building. A family member claimed the body could have belonged to Martinez, the warrant said.

When police contacted members of Martinez’s family to investigate the incident, they were told the family had made several attempts to contact Martinez’s cousins, who lived with him. Soto-Veliz answered only one of several phone calls and allegedly told family members that Martinez was with his girlfriend, the warrant states. During a text message conversation between the family member and the 17-year-old boy, the juvenile also allegedly said Martinez was with a girl, according to the warrant.

When Hartford police responded to the apartment where Martinez and the cousins ​​lived, they were able to view surveillance video that allegedly showed the two men carrying something wrapped in a blanket and sheets before leaving the area in a Honda Civic. Police said in the warrant that it appeared to be the same blanket found near the track.

The men were later seen returning to the apartment, where they allegedly threw something into a dumpster outside the building, the warrant said.

Police conducted a protective sweep of the basement apartment to ensure no one else inside was injured before obtaining a search warrant. Police said the apartment smelled like cleaning supplies and several fans were running with the windows open, according to the warrant. An almost empty bottle of washing-up liquid was found on the counter.

Police also allegedly found several drops and stains of a blood-like substance in the kitchen, bathroom and both bedrooms, the warrant said. Inside the trash in the kitchen, authorities allegedly found several rags and paper towels that appeared to be soaked in blood.

In one of the bedrooms, police found papers belonging to Martinez that were covered in leaf dust, as well as numerous apparent bullet holes in the wall and door, the warrant said. Pillows with the same pattern as the blanket found on the track were allegedly found on a bed with bullet holes. Police found two bullets in the bedroom.

In another bedroom believed to belong to Soto-Veliz and the 17-year-old boy, police allegedly found several live rounds of various calibers, the affidavit said.

In a dumpster outside the building, authorities found a trash bag containing a pillow with obvious blood stains and a bullet hole, according to the warrant. Police also found a bag containing a High Point JCP .40 caliber firearm and a magazine with one round in it, authorities wrote.

While police were still searching the apartment building, officers spotted a Honda Civic leaving the building on surveillance video and stopped the driver. Both the resident, identified as Soto-Veliz, and the juvenile were taken to the police department for questioning.

The 17-year-old refused to answer any questions without an attorney present, according to the warrant. The teenager was later charged with murder and tampering with evidence.

The juvenile is expected to be charged as an adult, Hartford Police Lt. Aaron Boisvert said.

After speaking with investigators, Soto-Veliza was charged with tampering with evidence and second-degree hindering prosecution. He was held on $500,000 bail over the weekend and appeared in Hartford Superior Court on Tuesday.

The judge held him on $500,000 bail and continued the case until Nov. 26, according to court records. Soto-Veliz, who remains in custody, has pleaded not guilty, according to court records.