Couple arrested in connection with Lisa Marie Velasquez’s murder

Two people have been arrested for the murder of Lisa Marie Velasquez whose body was found dismembered in trash bags in the Bronx.

Daquan Wheeler, 31, was arrested Wednesday night on charges of murder, concealment of a corpse and for tampering with evidence.

Ciara Martinez, 30, was also arrested on Wednesday night and she was charged with allegedly helping to conceal the body and hindering prosecution.

Martinez claims that Lisa was her friend.

According to the N.Y.P.D. Martinez and her boyfriend were fighting in their apartment and Velasquez came to help. According to WABC, officers responded to a cal about a domestic dispute at the couples home but left after a report was filed.

Wheeler reportedly left with the police, but returned later in a rage with a hammer and struck Velasquez in the head twice. Both were to be arraigned today in Bronx court.

Cover photo cred: Christopher Sadowski

(UPDATE) Police have identified the woman whose body was dismembered as 26 year old Lisa Marie Velasquez from the Melrose Houses.

Lisa was seen alive on Aug 21st leaving her Melrose Houses apartment. Her grandmother who raised her told NY Daily News that the last time she saw, Maria was in a huge rush grabbing a bag to go and saying she was going to help a friend who was in danger. One of her Aunts reported her missing days later, even turning to Facebook for help.

It’s being reported that Lisa was beaten by her boyfriend who then dismembered her body.

According to NY Daily News, Lisa and her siblings were raised by her grandmother after her mother died in a horrific way just like herself, in the hands of her boyfriend. Lisa’s mother, Iris Ginel, 37, was killed when her then boyfriend Robert Coakley stabbed her to death as she was held down by his then girlfriend. Ginel was 33 weeks pregnant. Coakley has been serving 25 years to life in prison.

 

 

The woman’s remains were discovered in now 4  trash bags. The first two trash bags containing her dismembered body were found by a worker from the NYC Parks Department outside of Crotona Park.

The following day a knife was found in the Crotona Park area, but as of now it’s unclear whether the knife is connected to the woman’s death.

On Tuesday police found two more trash bags containing the women’s two feet and two legs on some rocks at Viele Ave and Tiffany Street near a pier located in Barretto Point Park. These bags were discovered by passerbyers. One bag was reportedly opened and the other was not.

The cause of the unknown woman’s death was blunt force trauma.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visitinghttp://www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).