Colorado man arrested, accused of murder after human hand found inside jacket pocket

A security guard at the Pueblo Arts Center has been arrested and accused of murder after a human hand was found inside of a plastic grocery-type bag in the pocket of his jacket. Solomon Martinez, 26, remained in custody in Pueblo on $1 million bond for first-degree murder charges. 

Pueblo police officers began investigating on Jan. 10 on reports that there was a decapitated female near Fountain Creek. Officers found the body which was partially covered with a blanket. The victim has been identified as Renee Portillo. 

According to the arrest affidavit, one witness showed police a video that he had taken of the body near the water. He told officers the head was underneath a blanket. The witness also told officers that Martinez had asked for his help to dig a 10-foot hole but the witness told investigators that he thought Martinez was kidding. 

Another witness told police that he had seen Martinez covered in dirt and blood early the morning of Jan. 9 and that Martinez had offered to pay him $1,000 to dig a 10-foot hole. That witness told police that he believed Martinez had just killed someone. 

According to the arrest affidavit, officers took Martinez into custody while he was working security at the Pueblo Arts Center. That's when officers found a human hand inside a plastic grocery-type bag in the chest pocket of his jacket. Officers also observed that Martinez's vehicle had a red-colored smear underneath the trunk lid, and other areas of the car, which officers determined was consistent with dried blood. 

In the arrest affidavit, officers described the interview with Martinez as "inconsistent with the information" and that "he was being deceitful."

Martinez described loaning his vehicle during the time in question to a homeless man named "James" and that this person had possession of his vehicle, along with Martinez's phone and firearm which were inside the vehicle. 

According to the arrest affidavit, Martinez picked up a female sex worker the night of Jan. 8 but told officers he refused to pay her and then dropped her off after a couple of hours. Martinez then told officers that he did not kill the woman but that "James" killed her. 

Martinez is set to appear in court on Jan. 23 for a motions hearing.