Town of Haverstraw Police Chief John Gould held a press conference on Monday morning to announce the arrest of Yandie Martinez in connection with the homicide on West Street in the Village of Haverstraw. Martinez was taken into custody at 1:20 pm in Piedmont, South Carolina, through a collaborative effort involving the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Special Investigations Team (FASIT), FBI-Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, and the FBI-Columbia Division.
Chief Gould, alongside FBI Safe Streets Task Force members, Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II, Town of Haverstraw Town Board members, and the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office, provided detailed information about the case.
Chief Gould explained that multiple phone calls reported the shooting. Officers found Alvarado inside the crashed vehicle and provided emergency aid. Despite their efforts, Alvarado’s injuries were fatal. Haverstraw detectives quickly canvassed the area for witnesses and surveillance footage, which led them to identify Yandie Martinez as the suspect.
“I would like to commend the Haverstraw Detective Bureau for their professionalism, expertise, determination, and attention to detail during this investigation,” Gould stated. “The evidence collected proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Yandie Martinez is guilty of this crime.”
Attempts by family and friends to have Martinez turn himself in were unsuccessful. Investigators tracked Martinez through his social media accounts, leading them to an Airbnb in Piedmont, South Carolina. He was taken into custody without incident by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Special Investigations Team, with assistance from the FBI-Westchester Safe Streets Task Force and FBI-Columbia Division South Carolina.
Chief Gould expressed gratitude to the community for their support and information, which provided leads across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and the Dominican Republic. “Running down these leads would have been impossible without the collaboration of these outside agencies,” Gould emphasized.
Martinez is currently held at the Greenville County Correctional Facility in South Carolina. He will appear in federal court on charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and will be remanded to the custody of the US Marshals. Arrangements will be made to transport Martinez back to New York, where he will be arraigned on multiple charges, including second-degree murder and weapons charges.
“This was a case with many moving parts, bringing us over 700 miles from Haverstraw to South Carolina,” Gould concluded. “It was truly a team effort among many agencies. I’d like to thank and commend everyone involved.”