Suspect Charged In Murder Of Alpo Martinez, Harlem Drug Kingpin
A suspect in the murder of former Harlem drug kingpin Alberto “Alpo” Martinez has been arrested and charged for his role in the homicide. Shakeem Parker, 27, of Harlem, has been charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon after authorities received information that Parker was the triggerman in the October 2021 shooting that took Martinez’s life.
Parker, who has previous arrests for burglary, robbery, and drug possession, was already imprisoned at Rikers Island on a previous gun charge he was nabbed for in November 2021 prior to being charged with Martinez’s murder.
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Martinez, 55, who was portrayed by rapper Cam’ron in the 2002 crime drama Paid in Full, was murdered in Harlem on Halloween night after being ambushed in a drive-by shooting after leaving a party. Martinez was reportedly shot six times in his arm, once in his chest, and was grazed by a bullet in the face. He was rushed to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Prior to his death, Martinez was in the Federal Witness Protection Program after his 2015 release from prison and was going by the name Abraham Rodriguez under a Maine address. However, he eventually returned to the Harlem stomping grounds where he first rose to fame during the ’80s. He made public appearances and even gave detailed accounts of his criminal exploits in viral clips.
It is not yet clear what Parker’s alleged motive was for Martinez’s murder and whether it was connected to Martinez’s past misdeeds.
