Yandie Martinez, 18, was apprehended in Piedmont, South Carolina over the weekend by members of the Greenville County Sheriff's Office.
The investigation spanned several states and the Dominican Republic before tracing Martinez to an Airbnb in Piedmont through his social media account. Police did not say which platform.
Dozens of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies collaborated on the case.
“Whether you work in Haverstraw or Greenville South Carolina,” said Haverstraw Police Chief John Gould. “We're all on the same team."
The chief was joined by more than a dozen other law enforcement members for a news conference at Town Hall Monday morning.
"When we all work towards a common goal, we all come together, and we get the job done,” said Chief Gould.
Police allege that Martinez shot Alvarado multiple times on July 1. Alvarado later died at the hospital. Investigators say the two men knew each other and had some sort of altercation, but they did not elaborate on the nature of the dispute.
Detectives received numerous leads from community members, as well as surveillance video that helped with the investigation. Family members also assisted by attempting to reach Martinez and persuade him to turn himself in, but it became clear he was fleeing.
Police say a social media account used by Martinez allowed them to access the server and obtain a general location of his whereabouts. On Saturday, members of the Greenville County Sheriff's Office located him at the Airbnb and took him into custody.
"We are confident we have our man," said Haverstraw Police Chief John Gould. "As the case plays itself out through the courts, it will show that the investigation and the amount of evidence collected by these detectives prove that Yandi Martinez is guilty of this crime beyond a shadow of a doubt."
Martinez is currently being held in South Carolina. He is due in federal court to answer a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He will then be placed in the custody of U.S. marshals and transported back to Haverstraw to be arraigned on multiple charges, including murder in the second degree and multiple weapons charges.
Other information we learned from police on Monday:
- At this point, police are working to find out how Martinez got South Carolina and if someone helped him.
- No one is eligible for the $5,000 reward recently offered because the arrest leads were done by the department’s detective bureau.
- A weapon has not been recovered.
Martinez had a prior criminal history - however those records are sealed because it was handled in family court.