Missing 16-year-old found shot to death in home’s backyard, Georgia police say
UPDATE: A 20-year-old man has been arrested in the death of a missing teen found shot and killed in a backyard, according to the Gwinnett County Police Department. Dennis Calzadilla is charged with murder and aggravated assault in the death of 16-year-old Jose Daniel Martinez, police said.
Martinez’s family reported him missing after they said he didn’t come home the night before. His body was found behind a home on March 1.
The original story continues below.
A missing person call led police to a 16-year-old boy fatally shot behind an Atlanta-area home. Now authorities are searching for his killer.
Officers made the grim discovery around 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, on Paden Mill Trail in Lawrenceville, according to police in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The teen, who wasn’t publicly identified, died from a gunshot wound, police said.
Investigators said the boy had been reported missing earlier that day, WSB-TV and WANF reported. It’s unclear if he lived at the home.
No arrests had been made as of March 2, and additional details about the case weren’t immediately available.
However, authorities said the shooting is being investigated as a homicide.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Gwinnett County police detectives at 770-513-5300, or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477.
Lawrenceville is about 30 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published March 2, 2023 at 10:24 AM with the headline "Missing 16-year-old found shot to death in home’s backyard, Georgia police say."