Severed Hand Discovered in the Pocket of a Colorado Man Arrested on Suspicion of a Woman's Murder

A 26-year-old suspect was arrested by authorities for on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with a woman’s death

A Pueblo, Colorado, man suspected of killing a woman and leaving her body in a creek, was found with a severed hand in his coat pocket, according to police.

On Jan. 10, the Pueblo Police Department responded to a report of a homicide and discovered the dead body of an adult female victim in Fountain Creek, the authorities said in a press release. Solomon Martinez, 26, was arrested by authorities on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with the homicide, per the police.

According to the arrest affidavit reviewed by the Pueblo Chieftain, authorities found “a human hand inside a plastic bag inside the left chest pocket of Martinez's jacket” that they believe belongs to the victim. After being questioned upon his arrest, the suspect allegedly told police that “the hand had been in his jacket for two days.”

Police were first tipped off about a body in the creek by one of Martinez’s roommates, per the outlet. According to the affidavit, Martinez allegedly arrived at a car wash where they were working on Jan. 9 with blood on his hands and dirt on his clothing, per the outlet.

A friend of the roommate also claimed to the police that they were in a car with Martinez on that same day, when the two drove to Mohawk Road. That is where, according to the affidavit, the suspect allegedly took a decapitated woman’s body out of the trunk of his vehicle and dragged it towards Fountain Creek, the Chieftain reported.

The outlet reported, per the affidavit, that the same witness recorded a video of the scene after Martinez left and showed it to several people, including the police.

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Upon his arrest, Martinez claimed the witness who recorded the video was responsible for the victim's murder and “denied any knowledge of a body and stated that he did not kill or dismember anyone, the outlet reported.

Martinez is being detained at the Pueblo County jail on a $1 million cash-only bond while he awaits his next scheduled appearance in Pueblo District court, per the outlet.

At the time, the police said “the investigation is ongoing” and offered no further details. They added that the Pueblo County Coroner’s Office “will determine the cause and manner of death.“

The woman, meanwhile, has since been identified as Renee Marie Portillos, 47, by the coroner, the Chieftain reported. The outlet added that “an autopsy has been completed“ and “her next of kin has been notified.“

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