NEW BRITAIN -- Dennis Martinez was fleeing from a hit-and-run accident Feb. 27 when he barreled through a red light at more than 80 mph, striking a vehicle driven by Sonya Atkins and killing her, according to an arrest affidavit.
Martinez, who fled on foot after the crash, turned himself in to Newington Police Tuesday and was arraigned in New Britain superior court Wednesday.
The 36 year old East Hartford resident needed a Spanish interpreter as he faced a judge who set his is bond at $150,000. He is charged with first-degree manslaughter, evading responsibility and reckless driving.
Police identified Martinez as the driver in the fatal accident from DNA collected at the scene, the affidavit says. Martinez's license was suspended, and the red 1997 Ford F-150 pickup truck he was driving had a fraudulent temporary license plate, court records say.
Records show the truck's speedometer needle was stuck at 83 mph, which investigators concluded was the likely speed at the moment of the crash, the affidavit says. The speed limit for that stretch of road on Willard Avenue is 40 mph.
“His character shows he is not a good person, he left a scene from crime, he left my sister for dead,” Clinton said.
Sonya Atkins, a 53 year old New Britain resident was driving a 2005 Mazda on her way home when the accident happened. She was later pronounced dead at Hartford Hospital.
Atkins worked at the Department of Motor Vehicles office in Wethersfield for 30 years and was a mother of two grown children. Her family says her funeral was attended by more than 1,000 people in downtown New Britain.
“My sister was a class act, she touched a lot of people,” said Tasha Clinton, Sonya Atkins’ sister.
According to witness statements, moments before the accident, Martinez fled from another accident when striking another vehicle while backing out of a parking space at Aucello Eyecare Center on the Berlin Turnpike. The parking lot is often used as an overflow lot for the nearby Puerto Vallarta Mexican restaurant.
When Martinez drove away, the driver of the other car followed him in an attempt to get his license plate number and continued to trail Martinez as he accelerated to a high rate of speed and drove through red lights, the affidavit says.
The driver had lost sight of Martinez when at about 8:10 p.m. he drove through a red light at the intersection of Willard and Robbins avenues, court records say.
“My client says he was chased by someone who was out to do him bodily harm. I don’t know how accurate that is but we're looking into it,” said Martinez's attorney William Gerace.
Police suspect someone, possibly a girlfriend may have picked up Martinez and took him away from the scene. Tracks led officers to the rear of 1099 Willard Avenue towards Mohawk Circle then towards Indian Hill Road ending near the Indian Hill Country Club, according to the affidavit.
Police also found appearance bond form for in a trash bag in the rear cab of the F-150 belonging to Anthony Montesino, a New York man charged in the February 22 cockfighting ring bust in East Windsor. Authorities searched the list of men arrested for their involvement and discovered Dennis Martinez was one of the 45 men arrested for animal cruelty.
When investigators checked the temporary license plate, they discovered it was fraudulent, and traced the plate to a defunct business whose owner said that one of his business vehicles was issued the plate in 2011.
Police were eventually able to track down the truck's previous owner, who said he had sold it to four men in December. They were able to tie the truck to Martinez when members of the public responded to a photograph of the wrecked vehicle released by police.
A man living on South Main Street in New Britain told police he had seen the Ford F-150 at this next-door neighbor's home. The home at 522 South Main Street in New Britain is owned by Samuel Martinez, the brother of Dennis Martinez.
Police determined Dennis Martinez had been staying with his brother, who later told police that the truck involved in the accident belonged to Martinez, the affidavit said.
On March 4, a lawyer representing Martinez contacted police and offered to have him turn himself in. Days later he provided a DNA sample that proved to be a match for evidence collected at the accident scene, which consisted of blood found on the truck's airbag, according to investigators.
"I believe the DNA swabs, his DNA on the airbag was probably the key to pointing towards this individual," said Michael Chambers, a private practice attorney hired by Sonya Atkins' family.
The Judge ordered Martinez to be held on a $150,000 cash surety bond. If Martinez is freed, he will be on house arrest on ordered to wear a electronic monitoring bracelet at all times.
Many family members of Sonya Atkins believed Martinez should have held on a higher bond amount and expressed their disappointment and frustration while leaving court.
"I don't feel justice was served," said Tasha Clinton. "A $150,000 bond is as if he ran over a dog," she said.
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