IN - Man arrested in Indianapolis murder is in country illegally

Ryan Martin, Published 11:06 a.m. ET April 5, 2018 | Updated 11:26 a.m. ET April 5, 2018

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(Photo: Photo provided by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police)

A man arrested in Indianapolis on a murder charge is a Salvadoran in the country illegally.

Cristian Ortez-Diaz, 35, is accused of stabbing two men last Saturday. One of the men, 19-year-old Mauricio Beltran, died of his wounds early the next morning at Eskenazi Hospital. Prosecutors charged Ortez-Diaz in Marion Superior Court with murder and battery this week.

Ortez-Diaz entered the country illegally in September 2016 near Hidalgo, Texas. Border officers arrested him at that time, said Nicole Alberico, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, he was released a month later after posting bond, she said.

Roughly eight months after his release, an immigration judge ruled Ortez-Diaz to be deported to El Salvador. Though, at that time, immigration officials no longer knew Ortez-Diaz's whereabouts and he was not present for the ruling.

IndyStar learned that Ortez-Diaz was in the country illegally by checking Marion County Jail records that showed deportation officers had placed an immigration detainer on Ortez-Diaz. Detainers are used to hold a suspect in jail while federal agents obtain a warrant to begin deportation proceedings.


Right now, though, Ortez-Diaz remains in state custody in connection with the murder and battery charges.

Around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers were called to the 3700 block of La Fontaine Court on the east side. It's near Mithoeffer Road and 38th Street.

Officers found the two victims behind an apartment building. Both were taken to hospitals, but Beltran did not survive.

Witnesses told police that the suspect lived near the crime scene. They said he ran to his home.

SWAT officers found Ortez-Diaz hiding behind rolls of carpet in the home's porch area, court documents say. Blood appeared to be on his shirt and hand. A small knife, with a small amount of blood, also was found nearby.

The suspect and victims were part a group of men who had been drinking, court records say, when a fight began.

What ignited the fight is in dispute among those interviewed by police.

One witness told police the stabbing apparently stemmed from a joke that offended Ortez-Diaz. After pushing one man, according to the witness, Ortez-Diaz pulled out a keychain pocket knife, placed it between his fingers and began stabbing and slicing the two men. Beltran tried to defend the other man after he fell, the witness said.

The surviving victim said the argument started when Ortez-Diaz told both victims to remove their red shirts because Ortez-Diaz belonged to a gang, court documents say.

When contacted by IndyStar on Wednesday, IMPD officials said they are not aware of an alleged gang affiliation.

In his interview with police, Ortez-Diaz said he knew Beltran from when they lived in El Salvador. He admitted to stabbing both men, according to court documents, after the men started punching him.

A call to his attorney Thursday morning was not immediately returned.

Ortez-Diaz already appeared for his initial hearing in superior court. A jury trial is scheduled for June.

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/...mpd/487271002/