Woman, 27, Charged With Murder Of Bridgeport Man In Farmington: Police

FARMINGTON, CT — A 27-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the March homicide of a Bridgeport man whose body was found behind a Farmington condominium complex.

The Farmington Police Department announced Friday that Cynthia Martinez, 27, was arrested following what officials described as a cooperative investigation led by Farmington police.

Martinez is charged with:

• Murder
• Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm
• Tampering with Evidence
• Criminal Use of a Firearm

She is being held on a $3 million bond and was scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Torrington Superior Court.

The charges stem from the death of Derick William Mercado-Labonte, 29, of Bridgeport.

According to police, officers responded at about 10 a.m. on March 19 to Talcott Forest Road after receiving a report of an apparent untimely death under suspicious circumstances.

Responding officers found Mercado-Labonte in a wooded area behind a condominium complex.

Police said he had sustained multiple traumatic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following an investigation and a determination by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, authorities officially ruled Mercado-Labonte's death a homicide.

Farmington police thanked several agencies for assisting with the investigation, including the Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime Squad, the Office of the State's Attorney for the Judicial District of Litchfield, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Connecticut Forensic Laboratory, and the Meriden Police Department.

Police said no additional information would be released because the investigation remains active.

From March 20: 'Bridgeport Man Identified As Farmington Homicide Victim: Police'

From March 19: 'Death Under 'Suspicious Circumstances' Probed In Farmington: Police'