Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Murder suspect surrenders

Rivera turns himself in after 9 days on the run

By Gerald Garner Jr. El Defensor Chieftain Editor

Alex Rivera is behind bars.

The 32-year-old Polvadera resident wanted in connection with the Dec. 24 shooting death of Miguel Martinez Jr. surrendered to New Mexico State Police on Friday, Jan. 2, after evading police for nine days.

According to Mike Winders, Socorro's acting chief of police, Rivera "walked into the New Mexico State Police office (in Escondida) at about 10 p.m. Friday night."

Winders said his office was immediately notified of Rivera's surrender and sent a detective over to interview the suspect.

"We kept the heat on him and it finally paid off," Winders said. "But he immediately invoked his right to an attorney and was placed into our care."

Winders said that since Rivera disappeared on Christmas Eve, a concerted effort among the Socorro Police Department, Socorro County Sheriff's Department, New Mexico State Police and the Valencia County Sheriff's Department paid dividends.

"We were in very close contact with the other agencies and followed up a lot of tips," Winders said.

Several of those tips led officers with Valencia County and the State Police to residences in Valencia County where Rivera was known to hang out. Despite the fact that none of the tips panned out, Winders said constant law enforcement pressure likely prompted the suspect to turn himself in.

"We were one step behind him the whole way and he finally caved," Winders said. "After he was in custody he basically said the same thing."

Rivera was booked into the Socorro County Detention Center on a $1 million cash only bond. He faces an open count of murder and conspiracy to commit murder charge.

Rivera is one of three men police believe was involved in the Christmas Eve shooting death of 32-year-old Miguel Martinez Jr.

According to police reports Rivera, Joseph Martinez, 23, of Socorro and Atancio Cordero, 26, of Socorro were involved in a dispute with the victim, which ended when Miguel Martinez Jr. was shot in the chest, the report alleges. Martinez Jr. also suffered a blunt force trauma to the head, Winders reported.

Officers apprehended both Martinez and Cordero within an hour of the shooting.

Both men were arraigned last week on an open count of murder and one count each of conspiracy.

ggarner@dchieftain.com

E-mail this story Printer-friendly version