NYPD: New DNA technology linked 49-year-old to 1999 killing of 13-year-old Bronx girl

The 13-year-old went missing one day after leaving school at I.S. 15 and was never seen again, the NYPD says.

News 12 Staff

Nov 30, 2021, 5:43 PM

Updated 1,048 days ago

Share:

Police have arrested a New Rochelle man accused of killing a 13-year-old girl from the Bronx more than two decades ago. 
Police took 49-year-old Joseph Martinez, also known as Jupiter Joe, into custody Monday night. Martinez pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder Tuesday. His next court appearance is set for Jan. 31, 2022. 
Police say new DNA technology linked him to the 1999 killing of 13-year-old Minerliz Soriano.
WATCH NYPD press conference below: 
The 13-year-old went missing one day after leaving school at I.S. 15 and was never seen again, the NYPD says.
Her family just recently renewed calls for justice in finding the person responsible for her death after her body was found in a Co-op City dumpster.
"We don't want her to be remembered as this little girl who was found in the Bronx," says relative Destiny Soriano. "We don't want her to be known as a dumpster Bronx case. We want her to rest in peace. We want her name to be known as justice, as awareness, as hope for families who are."
“This is why we do the work that we do,” said Bronx DA Darcel Clark. “I hope today’s indictment brings some consolation.”