Murder Suspect Arraigned in Haverstraw

On August 29th, 2024, murder suspect Yandie Martinez was arraigned on one count of Murder in the Second Degree and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. This arraignment comes a little over a month since 18 year old Martinez was apprehended in South Carolina in connection with a homicide in Haverstraw, New York. Christian Alvaredo, the victim in the July 1st homicide, was found by emergency responders who had responded to a report of shots fired. Alvaredo was discovered crashed into a parked car and slumped over in the front seat of his car. Immediately after being removed from the vehicle, emergency responders identified two gunshot wounds. One of the shots had hit the victim’s left arm, and the other had punctured the left side of his chest, piercing both his lung and heart. Alvarado was transferred to Nyack Hospital where he was then pronounced dead. Martinez was on the run from law enforcement officials for a month before the combined efforts of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Fugitive Apprehension Special Investigations Team (FASIT), FBI-Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, and the FBI-Columbia Division located him in South Carolina. It is still unconfirmed what the connection is between Alvarado and Martinez, or how the 18 year old murder suspect had traveled over 700 miles from Haverstraw, New York to Piedmont, South Carolina.

District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II stated that “Today’s arraignment marks the first step in the legal process to hold Yandie Martinez, the suspect in the July 1, 2024 homicide in the

Village of Haverstraw, fully accountable for his actions. My office is committed to seeking justice on behalf of the victim and his family.” It is important to recognize that Martinez is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. In an exclusive video released by News 12, Martinez was shown pleading “not guilty” to all counts. Martinez has been remanded to Rockland County Jail without bail, and according to District Attorney Walsh there will be a scheduling conference held September 11th. This is an ongoing case.