By: Richard L. Smith
Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel, alongside Elizabeth Police Director Earl Graves and Police Chief Giacomo Sacca, announced the arrest of three Elizabeth men linked to a deadly shooting that occurred on January 1, 2023.
Jofrandy Diaz-Ramirez and Albenys Soto-Fernandez, both 25, were charged on February 28, 2023, with first-degree murder and weapons offenses.
A third suspect, 22-year-old Yoel Sanchez, was apprehended in Elizabeth by the US Marshals Service on May 7, 2024, facing similar charges.
The incident, which unfolded in the early hours of the New Year, led Elizabeth Police to the 4th St. area following reports of a shooting.
They discovered Vladimir Martinez at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead shortly after their arrival, according to Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Cho.
The arrests followed a meticulous investigation by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force, Elizabeth Police Department, Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, and the Union County Police Ballistics Unit.
This collaboration was crucial in identifying and capturing Diaz-Ramirez, Soto-Fernandez, and Sanchez.
Currently, all three suspects are being held in custody, with Soto-Fernandez at Hudson County Jail and both Diaz-Ramirez and Sanchez at Essex County Jail.