Espanola, NM -On Friday, December 18, 2020, at approximately 8:09 p.m., the Espanola Police Department (EPD) was dispatched to 1332 Holy Cross Street in Espanola, for an abandoned vehicle with its lights on in the roadway. When EPD officers arrived on scene, they located a male victim with a single gunshot wound to the chest in a black Mercedes. The victim was pronounced deceased on scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator. The male victim was later identified as Saul Martinez (30) of Espanola, NM.
During the initial investigation, EPD detectives learned Mr. Martinez was shot in his vehicle at 145 El Llano Road in Espanola, New Mexico. After the shooting Martinez was transported in his vehicle and left on Holy Cross Street. El Llano Road is outside of EPD’s jurisdiction. On December 29, 2020 at the request of EPD and the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau was requested to take over this homicide investigation.