By Sophia Chang
Manuel DeJesus Martinez, 35, was an employee at the Seville Diner at 230-11 Northern Blvd. in July 2001 when he got into an argument with his nephew, 32-year-old Miguel Martinez, in the basement of the diner, the DA said. Manuel DeJesus Martinez admitted that during the fight he fatally stabbed his nephew twice in the neck before leaving the body in a garbage can behind the diner in a wooded area, according to Brown. The decomposing body of Miguel Martinez, who police said lived at 147-25 Northern Blvd., was found July 14, 2001, and Manuel DeJesus Martinez, who was living at 163-07 Northern Blvd., then fled to El Salvador, according to the DA.The TimesLedger reported in 2001 that family members said Miguel Martinez and his uncle got along well and lived together until another relative moved to Flushing from El Salvador. Their relationship deteriorated when Manuel DeJesus Martinez accused his nephew of robbing the Seville Diner, and eventually the younger Martinez moved in with other family members in the area. Interviews with family members revealed that Miguel Martinez had been working in the United States to send money home to his family in El Salvador. Manuel DeJesus Martinez was arrested in November 2003 while trying to illegally enter the country at the border near Tucson, Ariz. and extradited to Queens, Brown said. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter before State Supreme Court Judge Randall Eng in Kew Gardens and was scheduled to be sentenced to a term of eight years in jail on April 7, according to the DA.”The defendant has admitted his guilt, waived his right to appeal and will be sent to prison for the killing of his 32-year-old nephew,” Brown said. “The defendant used a knife to settle a verbal dispute and now must accept the consequences of his decision.”Reach reporter Sophia Chang by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
