HOLLYWOOD HILLS—The Los Angeles Police Department is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of a suspect – or suspects – involved in the murder of Mercy Melissa Martinez, the LAPD released in a statement on April 12, 2023.
On June 13, 2022, 28-year-old Martinez’s skeletal remains were found by the workers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power inside a sewer drain in the Hollywood Hills. The exact location was not disclosed. Detectives found evidence at the scene which prompted them to believe Martinez’s body was placed there by someone else, the LAPD reported.
Martinez was last seen by her family in April 2021, and was last known to be alive during a police incident on June 15, 2021. She was experiencing homelessness and was dealing with substance abuse issues at the time of her disappearance.
“Mercy was someone very special in our lives and to say we’re heartbroken is an understatement,” Martinez’s family said in a GoFundMe post. “Mercy was a person who always put others happiness before her’s and was always willing to help anyone.”
Martinez is survived by her 14-year-old son, Sandorson, her 7-year-old son, Danny, and her mother.
LAPD detectives are requesting the public’s help in aiding in the arrest of the suspect(s) involved in her death, as well as any information about Martinez’s whereabouts between the time of her last known contact and the day her remains were discovered.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detectives John Lamberti (serial number 40252) or Tamara Momayez (serial number 40279) at (213) 382-9470. Anonymous tips may also be reported via text by logging onto www.lapdonline.org and clicking on “Anonymous Web Tips.”
By Lacy