November 30, 2001
Trenton,
NJ — A man wanted for an April 2000 murder in Puerto Rico was arrested
Thursday afternoon by the Central Jersey Fugitive Task Force (CJFTF), Mercer
County Prosecutor Daniel G. Giaquinto and U.S. Marshal Charles L. McNeal
announced today.
Angel
Martinez-Melendez AKA Giant AKA Pipe (DOB 12/13/79) was arrested at about 2 p.m.
on Thursday at the corner of Plum and Hamilton streets in New Brunswick by
Deputy U.S. Marshal Tim Hein, prosecutor’s Detective Joe Angarone and Trenton
Police Officer Faheem Ja-bree.
On
April 4, 2000, Martinez-Melendez and Eliober Rios Guzman allegedly shot and
killed John J. Vazquez Lugo during a dispute over drug territory in Puerto Rico.
Shortly after the incident, Guzman was shot and killed by police and
Martinez-Melendez fled Puerto Rico. A
warrant was issued for his arrest by the Tribunal General de Justica and an
investigation by the U.S. Marshals’ Puerto Rico
Fugitive
Task Force turned up information that Martinez-Melendez was in New Jersey,
possibly in the Newark, Trenton or New Brunswick area.
The assistance of the Central Jersey Fugitive Task Force was requested
earlier this month.
Hein
led the CJFTF’s investigation, which developed leads that Martinez-Melendez
was frequenting the Hamilton Street area in New Brunswick, nears Rutgers
University. Surveillance was
established and yesterday afternoon, Martinez-Melendez was observed walking down
the 200 block. He was arrested at
gunpoint and taken into custody.
Martinez-Melendez
is currently being lodged in the Mercer County Correction Center pending
extradition proceedings. He is
charged in Mercer County with being a fugitive from justice.
The
Central Jersey Fugitive Task Force targets violent and drug-related fugitives
wanted on state and federal warrants. It
is led by Mercer County Prosecutor Daniel G. Giaquinto and U.S. Marshal Charles
L. McNeal and comprised of members of the Trenton District of the U.S. Marshals
Service and officers of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey
State Police, the New Jersey Department of Corrections, the Hamilton Township
Police Department and the Trenton Police Department.
Despite
having been arrested, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.