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Louis Salgar Murder: Details Emerge on Suspect Who Shut Down Palm Beach

It was Fourth of July in St. Augustine when a cop spotted Raul Reinoso Martinez pushing a beaten-up bike down A1A. A car braked as he cut across the road, and the homeless-looking man angrily slammed on the vehicle's hood. When Officer Todd Smith called the man over, he noticed...
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It was Fourth of July in St. Augustine when a cop spotted Raul Reinoso Martinez pushing a beaten-up bike down A1A. A car braked as he cut across the road, and the homeless-looking man angrily slammed on the vehicle's hood.

When Officer Todd Smith called the man over, he noticed Martinez was carrying a small bayonet and knife in his pants. He started talking about how much he loved the officer and loved God. He also mentioned spending some time in Miami.

See also: Louis Salgar, Miami Punk Musician and Bartender, Murdered

"I considered Baker Acting him at first," the cop told Gossip Extra. "But he gave me his name and Social Security number, and he came back as a fugitive in California."

Reinosa had been arrested before, in 1996. The man who also went by "King Cuba" and had a tiger tattoo on his right biceps served three years and four months in Duval County for armed robbery.

But it was a separate armed robbery, on June 23, that shook members of Miami's music community and alarmed motorists in Palm Beach. Friends, family, band mates, and coworkers were devastated to learn that former Secret Arms guitarist and Broken Shaker bartender Louis Salgar had been murdered during a home invasion. Cops said he was a random victim targeted by a man who wanted money for drugs.

And although the police didn't immediately connect the two, a massive manhunt for the suspect shut down parts of Palm Beach near the Breakers resort. Salgar's Honda was found abandoned there. Motorists lined up along Cocoanut Row had no idea the congestion was related to a murder that took place in Miami the night before.

See also: Cocoanut Row Closed as Cops Search for Armed Man or Men

It's unclear how Martinez eluded police -- on foot -- as they scoured the island for 24 hours, combing expansive properties like that of Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern. After being arrested in St. Augustine, Martinez is being held without bail. He has not yet been extradited back to Miami.

Send your story tips to the author, Allie Conti.

Follow Allie Conti on Twitter: @allie_conti



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