Severed Hand Found in Man's Pocket After Arrest

A security guard suspected of killing a woman in Colorado had a severed hand in his pocket when he was arrested, police said.

Solomon Martinez, 26, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder after a woman's body was found in a creek on January 10, the Pueblo Police Department said in a news release.

Officers had responded to Fountain Creek just south of Highway 47 after receiving a report about a homicide, the police department. On arrival, officers located the body of a dead woman.

The Pueblo County Coroner's Office will release the identity of the victim after her next of kin have been located and notified. The coroner's office will also perform an autopsy to determine the manner and cause of death, police said.

A police officer found a hand in a plastic bag inside the left chest pocket of Martinez's jacket, according to an arrest affidavit recently obtained by The Pueblo Chieftain. Police believe it belonged to the woman who was found dead in the creek.

Martinez told police the hand had been in his jacket for two days, but denied killing the woman.

Martinez told officers that he had picked up the woman on the night of January 8, and that she had demanded payment for performing a sex act, according to local news station KRDO. He said he refused to pay and dropped the woman off at around 2 a.m. or 3 a.m.

He reportedly said that after dropping off the woman, he allowed his roommate's friend—who reported the homicide to police—to borrow his car. He alleged that man must have found the woman and killed her.

The affidavit said Martinez's roommate told police that Martinez arrived at a carwash before 5 a.m. on January with visible dirt on his clothing and blood on his hand that he washed off with a pressure washer hose, the Chieftain reported. The roommate said Martinez asked him to dig a 10-foot hole for him and that when he asked to borrow tools from Martinez, the latter did not allow him to access the trunk of the vehicle but he saw Martinez struggle with "something big" when retrieving the tools.

A friend of the roommate's told police that he was with Martinez on the morning of January 9 when Martinez drove to Fountain Creek, parked and dragged what appeared to be a woman's body down to the creek bed, the affidavit said. This second witness said Martinez asked him to help, but he refused even though Martinez allegedly threatened him with a gun.

The man said he recorded a video to "cover for himself" and showed several people the video of what he witnessed, the affidavit said. The video, which police reviewed, showed the body was decapitated and blood around the body and hands.

Police said Martinez had cuts on his wrists and hands, which he initially blamed on Chihuahuas but later said were from small rocks while picking up after his dog. The affidavit also said that Martinez appeared "deceitful" throughout the interview with police.

Martinez was on duty as a security guard for a private company run by former Pueblo County Sheriff Dan Corsentino when he was arrested on January 10.

Corsentino said in a statement to Newsweek that Martinez had no criminal history and had passed all background checks before he was hired in late December. His hours worked totaled about 53 hours before he was terminated, Corsentino said.

"I will work with law enforcement and comply with any requests they may have," he said.

Martinez is being held at the Pueblo County jail on a $1 million cash-only bond, according to KRDO. He is being represented by attorneys with the state public defender's office, who have been contacted for comment via email.

The Pueblo Police Department has also been contacted for comment via email.

Update 1/18/24, 10:37 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to add comment from former Sheriff Dan Corsentino.