By Thomas Tracy
The gruesome discovery of a murdered man found along a Plumb Beach bicycle path has led at least one local elected official to demand more security for the popular rest stop and its environs. “We want to turn the Plumb Beach rest stop from a snake pit known for its illegal activities like drugs and prostitution to a place where families can once again safely visit,” State Senator Carl Kruger wrote to Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe last week, after the body of a man was found dumped along the path, near the corner of Plumb Beach Channel and Shore Parkway. Tentative reports identify the victim as 22-year-old Felipe Martinez, a reputed Mexican gang member that had been deported from the United States roughly a year and a half ago. Sources said that Martinez had been arrested at least four times before he was sent back to his native land. A man walking his dog found Martinez’s body as he took his pooch for a stroll along the bicycle path at 7:40 a.m. on April 28, said officials. Martinez was found wrapped in a blanket bounded with a string. Following an autopsy, detectives from the 61st Precinct learned that Martinez had died from multiple stab wounds to the neck. Police do not believe that Martinez was killed in Plumb Beach and that the body was deposited there sometime before it was discovered. The dog-walker told police that he didn’t know what the bundle of blankets were at first and immediately called police when he inspected further, and found the victim inside the blankets. As of this writing, cops were still trying to uncover where Martinez was killed and why. In his letter to Benepe, Kruger called for additional lighting and video surveillance to be installed in the park. He also encouraged Benepe to open up the Plumb Beach roundhouse, which is in the center of the rest area, for local vendors to use. “Putting the roundhouse to good use would make the entire area well-lit and convince people to visit Plumb Beach for the right reasons,” Kruger said. A spokesperson for the Parks Department said that they had just received Kruger’s letter and were “looking into” his suggestions. Kruger takes credit for having the Plumb Beach rest area closed from dusk to dawn following a murder that took place in the rest area back in the summer of 2002. Police said that a “swinging scene” which took place in a parking lot overlooking Plumb Beach Channel led to the homicide, in which a man was stabbed. After being stabbed, the victim raced out of the lot only to come to a stop – his last – on an eastbound lane of the Belt Parkway. A few days later, cops arrested a suspect in the stabbing – a man who was reportedly pimping his girlfriend at the parking lot. Cops are asking anyone with information regarding last week’s homicide to come forward. Tipsters could receive up to $2000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those responsible for the slaying. Calls, which will be kept confidential, can be made to either the 61st Precinct detective squad at 627-6611 or the NYPD Crimestoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS.
