Accused gunman buries dead man, poses as kidnapper to victim’s girlfriend, CA cops say

A 35-year-old man is going to prison after being accused of killing a man and then trying to extort $165,000 from the victim’s girlfriend, California officials said.

Juan Antonio Martinez of Santa Rosa was car shopping with Deydhy Jordy Silverio-Castro in June of 2022, according to a May 9 news release by the Sonoma County District Attorney.

Toward the end of their shopping trip, Martinez fatally shot Silverio-Castro in the head and took $15,000 from him, prosecutors said.

He eventually buried Silverio-Castro in a shallow grave, officials said.

Then a few days later, he posed as a kidnapper and tried to get Silverio-Castro’s girlfriend to give him $165,000, officials said. She had reported Silverio-Castro missing.

Martinez confessed to investigators and showed them where Silverio-Castro was buried, officials said.

Martinez was sentenced to 20 years-to-life in prison on charges of murder and extortion by posing as a kidnapper, prosecutors said. He pleaded no contest, per the release.

Sonoma County is about an 80-mile drive northwest of San Francisco.

This story was originally published May 10, 2024 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Accused gunman buries dead man, poses as kidnapper to victim’s girlfriend, CA cops say."