NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A Westchester County man was arrested Monday in connection with the February 1999 murder of a 13-year-old Bronx girl.
Joseph Martinez, 49, of New Rochelle, was arrested and charged with murder, 22 years after Minerliz Soriano was found strangled in a dumpster in Co-Op City.
The teenager had last been seen leaving her school on Wallace Avenue in February of that year, and her family had searched the area for days following her disappearance.
No arrests were made, and it took investigators two decades to find Martinez.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark on Tuesday said investigators used familial DNA – a DNA testing technique that uses genetic material from relatives to track down a suspect – in order to located Martinez, also known as “Jupiter Joe.”
“This beautiful little girl was treated less than human. It has been 22 years since her life was cruelly taken but the detectives never gave up on finding justice for her and her family, and neither did my ADAs,” Clark said.
“The DNA science and technology [advancements] over the years, and familial DNA in particular, was instrumental in linking the defendant Joseph Martinez, also known as ‘Jupiter Joe,’ to the murder,” she added.
Clark said when Soriano’s body was found, there was evidence to believe she had also been sexually abused. It remains unclear if Martinez will face any charges stemming from that accusation.
The DA also noted that Martinez had been an active member of the community for decades and offered “sidewalk astronomy lessons” in the area where Soriano’s body was found.
Soriano’s family have thanked investigators for finding the teenager’s alleged killer, but her father, Luis Soriano, spoke with WCBS-TV saying the news has brought forth complicated emotions.
“I feel happy because justice is working, but I feel sad at the same time because it takes too long,” he said.