PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two men were convicted of murder on Monday for the fatal shooting of Sgt. Richard Mendez, a Philadelphia police officer who was shot and killed while responding to a car break-in at an airport parking garage two years ago.
Yobranny Martinez-Fernandez and his cousin, Hendrick Peña-Fernandez, were found guilty of murder — first-degree and second-degree, respectively. Those convictions carry automatic life sentences.
Martinez-Fernandez was also found guilty of robbery, gun and car theft charges, as well as aggravated assault for shooting Mendez’s partner.
On Oct. 12, 2023, Mendez and his partner, Raul Ortiz, had just arrived at Philadelphia International for patrol when they heard glass shattering in a parking garage. They responded but the suspects quickly opened fire, killing Mendez and wounding Ortiz. The injury ended his career.
Over the two-week-long trial, eyewitnesses, investigators and experts testified to surveillance video, cellphone evidence, reports and pictures that prosecutors said linked 20-year-old Martinez-Fernandez and 23-year-old Peña-Fernandez to the fatal shooting.
Detectives told jurors that the pair — along with 23-year-old Alexander Batista-Polanco and 18-year-old Jesús Madera-Durán, who was also killed that night — put their phones on airplane mode for about 45 minutes to avoid being tracked as they traveled together to the airport to steal cars.
Prosecutors alleged Martinez-Fernandez was the shooter and Peña-Fernandez was an accomplice.
A DNA analyst linked Martinez-Fernandez to the crime scene, saying his DNA was found inside a Dodge Charger that had been broken into. Peña-Fernandez’s DNA was found on Madera-Durán’s glove, which was left at the scene.
Detectives said the timeline of the shooting matches surveillance video of their Dodge Durango entering and fleeing the parking garage.
Accomplice testifies
The star witness was Batista-Polanco, who pleaded guilty to third-degree murder earlier this month. He told jurors the group would routinely steal cars, and he said they all set out to steal one that night.
But after his best friend, Madera-Durán, was shot, Batista-Polanco said they raced him to the hospital. He told jurors that he and the defendants then high-tailed it to Central Jersey, where they torched the car they were driving. They stayed at a hotel for a few days until they were arrested.
Batista-Polanco told jurors they wore gloves to conceal their fingerprints, ski masks to shield their faces from cameras, and kept their phones in airplane mode to avoid being tracked. However, he said they eventually switched their phones back on and made some calls, including to Madera-Durán’s family to let them know he was in the hospital.
Police later discovered the group was linked to an interstate car theft ring that would steal high-value cars like Durangos, Chargers and Jeep Grand Cherokees, which they would then resell in Camden County. Thirteen people were arrested in connection with that investigation in September, including the two defendants and Batista-Polanco.
Defense denies wrongdoing
Martinez-Fernandez’s attorney questioned Batista-Polanco’s testimony and the DNA evidence, arguing there were no fingerprints to prove his client did anything. The judge also denied a motion by Peña-Fernandez’s attorney to acquit his client, after also arguing that there wasn’t enough evidence to link his client to any shooting.
In closings, both defense attorneys tried to poke holes in the city’s case.
Jury deliberations began on Nov. 19, but a juror had to leave that afternoon due to a medical emergency. An alternate was brought in to start new discussions. Two days later, another juror was replaced.
Ultimately, the jury found Martinez-Fernandez and Peña-Fernandez guilty of first- and second-degree murder, respectively, which carry automatic life sentences.