Haverstraw 18-year-old pleads not guilty to fatally shooting Pomona man in his car

NEW CITY -- An 18-year-old man pleaded not guilty to murder on Thursday and was ordered held without bail in the county jail, pending prosecution in Rockland County Court.

Yandie Martinez has been charged with second-degree murder and possessing a weapon in the shooting death of 29-year-old Christian Alvarado on July 1 in Haverstraw village. If he's convicted, the murder charge carries a prison sentence of 15 to 25 years to life.

Alvarado and Martinez reputedly had a physical confrontation on Main Street, Haverstraw Police Chief John Gould and prosecutors said. Alvarado ran to his vehicle that was parked on West Street and drove off.

Martinez is accused of shooting Alvarado through the driver's side window. Alvardo then turned right and crashed into a parked car across from 9 Fairmount Ave. near West Street, Gould said.

Officers found Alvarado slumped inside the vehicle and removed him for EMTs to try and save his life. He had two gunshot wounds, one to the left arm and one to the left side of his chest, entering his lung and heart, District Attorney Thomas Walsh said Thursday. Montefiore Nyack Hospital doctors pronounced Alvarado dead.

Martinez was located in South Carolina through social media

Authorities arrested Martinez a few weeks later on July 27 at an Airbnb in Piedmont, South Carolina . Haverstraw police located Martinez through a social media account and contacted South Carolina authorities, Gould said. Martinez was held on a federal warrant for unlawful flight from prosecution before being brought back to Rockland.

Gould said Haverstraw officers first had contacted Martinez's family and friends about having Martinez turn himself in.

On Thursday in Rockland County Court, Judge Anne Bianchi took Martinez's not-guilty plea to an indictment charging him with murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon through his attorney Dawn Florio of New York City. Bianchi ordered Martinez held without bail.

Rockland County Court Judge Kevin Russo will take over the case at Martinez's next scheduled court appearance on Sept. 11.

Walsh said Thursday that the arraignment moves the case closer to bringing justice for Alvarado and his family and to holding Martinez "fully accountable for his actions."

Martinez is being prosecuted by First Assistant District Attorney Doreen Lloyd and Supervising Assistant District Attorney Emily McNiff.

Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com Twitter: @lohudlegal

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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Haverstraw 18-year-old pleads not guilty to fatally shooting Pomona man in his car