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Thread: Santos Hernandez Jr. Florida

  1. #1
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    Santos Hernandez Jr. Florida

    Sixteen-Year-Old Indicted In Killing of Second Teen

    A grand jury indicted Santos Hernandez Jr. on Thursday in the killing of 16-year-old Marco Martinez, whose body was found earlier this month in a shallow grave near his Lakeland home.

    Hernandez, also 16, is accused of first-degree murder. He is being prosecuted as an adult.

    The indictment states Hernandez shot Martinez and also stabbed or cut him.

    Martinez, a Kathleen High School student, disappeared the afternoon of April 5.

    After months of unsuccessful searching, detectives continued to interview Hernandez, who provided the location of Martinez's body, according to reports from the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

    His body was found in a shallow grave near his house earlier this month.

    Hernandez told investigators that he and Martinez were arguing over money when the attack took place, the reports state.

    Martinez was the subject of an intensive search by detectives. A $10,000 reward was offered for information in the case.

    A popular student at Kathleen High School, Martinez was babysitting his 3-year-old niece, Analise, on April 5. The girl was found alone outside their home about 4:30 p.m.

    Martinez's brother came home to find their door ajar with the key in the lock, and his young niece didn't have the words to describe what occurred. She kept repeating the words "the store, the store."

    Hundreds of dollars were left in a pair of pants in his bedroom.

    If convicted of first-degree murder Hernandez could be sentenced to life in prison. Because of his age prosecutors cannot seek the death penalty.

    Marco Martinez disappeared the afternoon of April 5, and detectives had searched for him for months and offered a $10,000 reward for information in the case.

    http://www.theledger.com/article/201...6&tc=yahoo

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    17-Year-Old Suspect Says Stabbing Was Unplanned

    Santos Hernandez Jr. told detectives he didn't plan to shoot and stab his friend, according to a recently released transcript.

    "I just wish it never happened," said the Lakeland teenager.

    The State Attorney's Office released documents last week in the murder case against Hernandez, including the transcript of his Oct. 4 interview with detectives.

    Hernandez, 17, is accused of first-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Marco Martinez.

    Martinez, a Kathleen High School student, disappeared on the afternoon of April 5. His skeletal remains were uncovered Oct. 1 in a shallow grave near his home on McGregor Street in Lakeland.

    A grand jury indicted Hernandez on Oct. 21. Prosecutors cannot seek the death penalty because of Hernandez's age. However, if convicted as charged, he faces up to life in prison. A trial has not yet been scheduled.

    Hernandez's lawyer, Jeffrey Holmes, said he is still reviewing the records in the case, and he did not want to comment for this story.

    Hernandez told detectives in the transcript that he and Martinez were upset about money and drugs that each thought were owed.

    Hernandez said he was hanging out on April 5 with Martinez on the back porch smoking marijuana.

    He said they took a walk into the nearby woods, and he brought a handgun along to shoot birds.

    He said a verbal argument over the debts turned into a fist fight.

    Hernandez said he was losing the fight so he pulled out the .22-caliber revolver from his right pants pocket and fired twice.

    "I didn't see if I hit him or not," Hernandez said.

    He said the gun made a clicking sound so he pulled a folding knife from his left pants pocket and began stabbing Martinez.

    Hernandez told detectives he "panicked" after the killing and went home to take a shower. He said the incident didn't seem real.

    "I was scared," he said. "I didn't want to tell nobody."

    He recalled getting some takeout Chinese food with a relative and then going to a friend's house to smoke some marijuana.

    He said he went back the next day with a shovel to get rid of the body.

    "And then I just dig a hole and put him in there," he said.

    For months, Martinez's whereabouts were a mystery. Detectives checked into rumors about what happened to the teen and interviewed many people.

    Some witnesses spoke about mounting animosity between Hernandez and Martinez, reports show.

    Christopher Stephens of Fort Meade said Hernandez didn't like Martinez, and he ridiculed Martinez by calling him a fake gang member.

    Stephens also recalled that Hernandez asked him where Martinez kept his money.

    Hernandez later told detectives in his Oct. 4 interview that he did break into Martinez's bedroom before the killing took place to take money and settle the debt. However, he said he didn't find anything.

    Hernandez's ex-girlfriend, Veronica Saldierna of Seffner, said Hernandez admitted to stabbing Martinez "in the chest and watched him die slowly," according to an investigative report.

    She recalled Hernandez was laughing when he told her about this, the report states.

    http://www.theledger.com/article/201...5051?p=2&tc=pg

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