Louisiana murder suspects caught in Dallas driving victim's stolen car

DALLAS - Earlier this week, Dallas Police arrested two suspects connected to a Louisiana murder and carjacking at a local Motel 6. 

Police tracked the suspects after a stolen vehicle's license plate was spotted by a Flock camera.

 Suspects tracked to Texas

What we know:

Dallas police officers surrounded a Motel 6 at 9600 C.F. Hawn Freeway on Tuesday, October 27. Footage captured by FOX 4 shows two males and one female coming out of their room.

A Dallas Police K-9 officer initially spotted a stolen white GMC pickup in the motel parking lot after receiving an alert from a Flock camera. Motel employees directed officers to room 262 where the three were staying.

Dallas County Jail records identify one suspect as 19-year-old Jamie Santos Martinez. 

He faces holds for first-degree murder, theft of a motor vehicle and an immigration hold. 

The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office confirmed they are also charging a juvenile female suspect in connection to the crime.

The backstory:

The cross-state manhunt began after Lafayette Parish Sheriff's deputies responded to a homicide in the 200 block of Despain Street around 7:30 p.m. Monday, officials said.

Investigators identified the victim as 35-year-old Jorge Andino Espinal.

Police say the suspects murdered Espinal during a carjacking and stole his white GMC pickup truck.

Investigators believe the suspects drove the stolen vehicle straight from Louisiana to the Dallas motel.

What we don't know:

Officials did not name the juvenile suspect or the second man who exited the room.

What they're saying:

"We have a whole network of technology that we're able to use and, in this case, we were able to use to track the movements of the victim's vehicle," says Valerie Ponseti, Public Information Officer with the Lafayatte Parish Sheriff's Office.

"On this particular case, we were utilizing Flock. You had Lafayette, Louisiana that entered a license plate into the Flock system. Throughout the investigation, they were tracing a plate. We located it here in Dallas."

Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux says the incident occurred around five minutes from where he grew up in Lafayette. He tells FOX 4's Shaun Rabb he will continue standing by Flock technology.

What's next:

Dallas homicide detectives are working with Louisiana detectives to arrange extradition. 

Authorities will transport Martinez and the juvenile suspect back to Lafayette Parish to face charges of first-degree murder and theft of a motor vehicle.

Crime and Public SafetyDallasLouisianaDallas Police Department