Crime & Safety
Murder Suspect Arrested At Belleville Hotel: Prosecutor
Prosecutors allege the man hit his girlfriend in the head with a bottle, then strangled her with a cell phone charging cord.
BELLEVILLE, NJ — Police arrested a Mercer County man accused of murdering his girlfriend, finding him at a Belleville hotel on Wednesday, authorities say.
According to the Office of the Mercer County Prosecutor, Carlos Ortiz, 50, is charged with murder, two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon.
Ewing Police discovered 51-year-old Rufina Castro dead in her bedroom just before 3 a.m. Police responded to the home after receiving a request for a welfare check.
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Police believe Ortiz hit Castro in the head with a beer bottle during an argument, then strangled her with a cell phone charging cord.
He then tried to hide her body under a pile of clothes and blankets before fleeing the scene in his Ford Explorer, police charge.
Find out what's happening in Belleville-Nutleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
He was later found at the Belleville Motor Lodge on Washington Avenue, NorthJersey.com reported.
The New Jersey State Police, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Belleville and Readington Police Departments participated in the arrest.
Ortiz’s bail was set at $1 million cash only.
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