POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Enrique Martinez, 26, was arrested Tuesday for the murder of Edil Rodriguez, Jr., 33, at a homeless camp in Eloise on Nov. 8, 2023.
“I want to know. What did my brother do for you to shoot him in cold blood?” said Melissa Rodriguez.
Edil’s sister said he was not homeless but was free-spirited.
“My brother was the type of man that he would give his last dollar if he had it. His shirt off his back if he had it,” Rodriguez said.
Investigators believe Martinez is also connected to the death of Sierra Hernandez, 20, earlier this month.
“She was a kindhearted young girl, with her whole life ahead of her, that unfortunately got cut short,” said Hernandez's cousin Trey Stokes.
Hernandez's family reported her missing on Jan. 14, but detectives believe she may have been killed days before.
“Lack of social media activity was a real red flag, being how young kids are. So, for them, that was like, something is wrong,” Stokes said.
Investigators said Martinez has a criminal history dating back to 2011, with 13 felonies and 15 misdemeanors. He spent five years in prison for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and battery domestic violence but was released in 2022.
Most recently, Martinez was arrested for battery, domestic violence, and resisting arrest in 2023 and was released on bond.
The families of Edil and Hernandez believe the most recent murder could have been prevented if Martinez had been captured sooner.
“It took him to take a young girl's life for them to get serious, and that’s not fair,” said Rodriguez.
The details of Hernandez’s death have not been released. Detectives believe there are other suspects.
"I hope he spends the rest of his life behind bars and no other family is hurt," Stokes said.
