What did Solomon Martinez do? Colorado security guard suspected of decapitating a woman found carrying severed hand in pocket

On January 11, 2024, 26-year-old Solomon Martinez, a security guard at the Sangre De Cristo Arts Center, was apprehended by the Pueblo Police Department as a suspect in the death of an adult female. KKTV reported that the victim was identified as Renee Portillo by the coroner.

According to the report by KKTV, the victim’s body was located decapitated in Fountain Creek in Pueblo, Colorado. At the time of his arrest, authorities had reportedly found a severed human hand in Solomon's pocket.

A press release by the Pueblo Police Department stated that they are conducting a homicide investigation into the death and have charged Solomon Martinez with first-degree murder.

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Solomon Martinez reportedly sought the help of his roommate to dispose of the victim's body

KKTV reported that on January 10, 2023, at about 4 pm, the Pueblo Police Department received a call reporting a possible decapitated female near the river. The caller showed authorities a video of the body with a missing head, which led to patrol officers searching along Fountain Creek on foot and with drones.

KRDO reported that the caller also informed authorities about another witness, identified as Joshua Mazzurco, who was also the roommate of Solomon Martinez. Upon interviewing him about the incident, Joshua told authorities that in the early morning hours of January 9, 2024, he and the caller were at a carwash near Troy Avenue and Constitution Road when Solomon came to the carwash.

Joshua allegedly thought the suspect had been in a fight, as there was dirt on his clothes and blood on his hands. Solomon allegedly washed the blood off his hands using the stall's power washer.

WDBJ7 reported that as per arrest records, Solomon Martinez asked for the help of his roommate, Joshua Mazzurco, prior to disposing of the victim's body. Joshua said:

"He had walked up to me and he had asked me, you know, 'You want to absolve $1,000 off your debt? I need a ten-foot hole.' And he looks at me, goes, 'I'm not playing around.'"

According to the report by WDBJ7, Joshua claimed that he refused to help Solomon. Joshua Mazzurco said:

"I was terrified. I was beyond terrified. Like, I can't even put into words how physically scared I was."

The report by KKTV stated that detectives checked the video provided by the caller, which showed a female body without a head with a blanket covering from the waist down.

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Authorities believe Solomon Martinez was disingenuous in the interview

KKTV reported that Solomon Martinez was taken into custody at work, and authorities located a human hand inside a plastic grocery-type bag in the chest pocket of his jacket. They also found what seemed to be blood smudged on his car. When detectives questioned him whether he was aware of the reason for being interviewed, Solomon said:

"I am guessing it has to do with the gift in my f***ing pocket. All I know is I was told to pick it up."

According to the report by KKTV, authorities believe that Solomon was deceitful during his interview and expressed difficulty recalling times and locations. He claimed that he was asked to pick up the severed hand by one of the witnesses.

He also stated that he went on a drive with that witness and noticed a big red stain all over the interior passenger side. Solomon mentioned that the witness told him it was tomato paste.

The outlet reported that Solomon denied seeing a body on the river or killing or dismembering anyone. When inquired about his whereabouts on the night of January 8, 2024, he admitted to hiring a prostitute whom he refused to pay. He claimed that he later dropped her off.

When he was shown a picture of the victim, he recognized her as the woman he picked up that night but refused to have killed her. He also told authorities that he believed one of the witnesses was responsible for the killing.

WDBJ7 reported that Solomon was employed by former Pueblo County Sheriff Dan Corsentino's security guard company. Dan Corsentino stated that the suspect had no criminal history and passed all background checks prior to his employment, which began in late December 2023.

The New York Post reported that Solomon Martinez remains in custody at the Pueblo County jail on a $1 million cash-only bond.