The New Jersey man’s verdict of first-degree murder was announced by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, July 11, following a monthlong trial.
A 23-year-old New Jersey man, Bryan Gonzalez Martines, was convicted by a Union County jury this week for the murder of his girlfriend in 2020
The jury reached a decision in less than a day. The incident occurred on July 6, 2020, when the Plainfield Police Department conducted a welfare check at a residence on Kensington Avenue. Tragically, they discovered the lifeless body of 19-year-old Brenda Montoya-Cruz. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the victim’s boyfriend, New Jersey man Gonzalez Martines, was present in the apartment on the day of the welfare check. However, as the police were en route, a New Jersey man managed to evade capture by jumping off a second-story roof and fleeing the scene. Inside the apartment, authorities discovered New Jersey man Gonzalez Martines’ wallet and a neighbor identified him to the police, assisting in his subsequent arrest the following day.
It was disclosed that New Jersey man Gonzalez Martines had confessed to his father about having done “something bad,” prompting his father to request a welfare check
Additionally, a week prior to the tragic incident, Montoya-Cruz had reported to the Plainfield Police that New Jersey man Gonzalez Martines had physically assaulted and threatened her, resulting in his arrest on charges of aggravated assault.
New Jersey man Gonzalez Martines now awaits sentencing, scheduled for September 29, and faces the possibility of life imprisonment in the New Jersey state prison system.