Arrest made in connection with East Boston teen found dead in garage

Gail Waterhouse — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 00:01:53 -0400

The person accused of murdering 18-year-old Blanca Lainez, the teenager found dead in an East Boston garage last month, was ordered held without bail at his arraignment on Monday. Jose Hernandez, 16, of East Boston, is charged with murder.

Lainez was found dead on the morning of June 15, just two weeks before her 19th birthday on June 30. According to the Boston Globe, Lainez was living in Chelsea and immigrated to the area from El Salvador in 2014. She was the youngest of 16 siblings, and some of her other sisters who were living in the area paid $7,000 to bring Lainez to Boston. She was in the area illegally.

Blanca Lainez

"If I knew this was going to happen, I would have sent her home to our mom," Dora Merino, one of Lainez's sisters told the Globe.

The Globe spoke to one of Lainez's friends who last saw her alive on June 14.

Lainez suffered blunt force trauma and stab wounds, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office. Construction workers found her body in the garage behind 54 Princeton St.

According to the DA's office:

Video evidence from cameras in the area show a male wearing a hood exit a residence at 63 Marion St. and make his way to Princeton Street at about 8:15 p.m. – moments before the last outgoing acitivity on Lainez’ cell phone. It also shows him running back from Princeton Street to Marion Street and putting something in his pocket at about 9:00, Verner said. Analysis of footage from multiple cameras suggests that this male traveled to a portion of Princeton Street between 40 Princeton St. and the Marion Street intersection – a portion that includes 54 Princeton St.

A search warrant executed at 63 Marion St., where Hernandez lives, yielded a two-tone hooded jacket consistent with the one seen on the video footage.

A person going to or from the area in which Lainez’ body was found would have to travel between the studs of an unfinished wall of the garage, Verner said. An examination of that area led to the recovery of a palmprint that tested presumptively positive for blood – and that also matched Hernandez’ prints when he was arrested with a large knife on June 30.

Analysis of Lainez’ cell phone showed “extensive contact” between Hernandez and the victim prior to her homicide and suggested “animosity” between the two. Hernandez had threatened her in the weeks prior to her death.

Hernandez will be tried as an adult.

Blanca Lainez | Homicide Watch Boston

Arrest made in connection with East Boston teen found dead in garage