A Riverside man was in custody Friday for allegedly killing his roommate and burying the body in the backyard of their home.
Officers were sent to the 8700 block of Sylvan Drive, in the Arlanza neighborhood, about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, “following reports that a resident had not been seen or heard from for several days,” the Riverside Police Department said in a statement.
“During their initial investigation, officers learned that one of the occupants had made statements claiming he killed his roommate,” the police statement said. The occupant was detained while the property was searched, revealing a possible crime scene in the backyard.
“Due to the suspicious circumstances, detectives from our Robbery-Homicide Unit, along with specialists from the Forensics Unit, responded to assist with the investigation,” the police statement said.
Riverside County Sheriff’s Department cadaver dogs were also brought to the scene, police said.
“The cadaver dogs alerted to freshly disturbed soil in the backyard. As detectives began digging the area, they found human remains. The Riverside Sheriff-Coroner’s Office responded to complete the recovery from the makeshift grave, identifying the victim as 31-year-old Bradley Minder of Riverside.
Police alleged that during an altercation, Martinez killed Minder, then buried his body in the backyard of their home.
Detectives arrested 48-year-old Richard Thomas Martinez of Riverside. He was later booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center for suspicion of murder and was being held without bail, the police statement said.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to contact Detective Ricky Barajas at 951-353-7213 or EBarajas@RiversideCA.gov, or Detective Richard Glover at 951-353-7134 or RGlover@RiversideCA.gov.