Angel Martinez was found guilty of stabbing another man to death in Madera in May and was sentenced to 12 years in state prison on Wednesday for the crime.
Martinez, 34, killed Andres Espejo, 38, on Riverside Drive near Nebraska Drive.
Martinez was taken into custody by Madera Police not long after the stabbing.
Two eyewitnesses, according to the authorities, were able to positively identify Martinez as the person who had murdered Espejo, and a tip led police to the location where Martinez was residing.
The motivation for the homicide was not initially revealed by the investigators; however, they did state that they did not think the incident to be coincidental.
UPDATE: Madera Police have arrested Angel Martinez, 34, of Madera for the murder of Andres Espejo. Police say the two knew each other and had previous issues. @ABC30 pic.twitter.com/PR20Ajgh6G
— Jessica Harrington (@JessicaABC30) May 16, 2022
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According to the interim Lieutenant of the Madera Police Department, Mark Trukki, “We do know that the two knew each other and that they had previous confrontations.”
A daughter, Aundrea, who was 11 years old, as well as two sisters and a brother, were left behind by Espejo after he passed away.
His relatives had earlier stated to Action News that they were determined to keep their memories and keep fighting for justice.
“He brought joy to everybody. I mean, whenever he was around, whenever he was around me, he made me smile, laugh, and whatever I was going through, he made me forget about it, you know,” said Sarah Rios, Espejo’s cousin.
“He was a good guy, a good sense of humor, good character. He didn’t deserve this.”
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