Not guilty plea and other new details emerge in court for fatal Haverstraw shooting
An 18-year-old murder suspect is back in Rockland County after a nearly two month effort by authorities to find him and bring him back from South Carolina. News 12’s Diane Caruso was the only media outlet in the courtroom for his first court appearance.
Yandie Martinez, 18, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and weapons charges in Rockland County Court on Thursday. He's accused of shooting and killing Cristian Alvarado in Haverstraw on July 1, 2024.
In the courtroom, the prosecution said that after the shooting Martinez changed clothing at a nearby apartment, then got into a car with other people to leave the area. He "switched phones," "made new social media accounts" and "shaved his head."
As News 12 previously reported, he was found weeks later in an Airbnb in South Carolina. Prosecutors are looking into his mother’s possible role in helping him evade authorities. They said she has been convicted of a federal felony and lives in the county where her son was located.
Prosecutors also stated a warrant was issued for Martinez on June 27 - days before the deadly shooting - after he "absconded" from a juvenile detention center in upstate New York for a prior arrest in Haverstraw.
Martinez was remanded to Rockland County jail without bail after his court proceeding on Thursday.
His defense attorney, Dawn Florio with her Manhattan-based law firm, tells News 12 they will fight the case.
Both the victim and defendants family had no comment.
"Our sympathy's and condolences go out to the family of the victim. There's nothing that we can do in the justice system to make up for that loss but we will try our best to seek justice," said Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh.
