Police Report April 13

[mdo...@crocker.com]

On April 9th the Springfield Police responded to the Front Street
Canal located in the Indian Orchard section of the city for a dead
body floating in the water. The body was discovered by a worker for
the American Energy Corp. who was in the process of cleaning the
canal.

Detectives from the Homicide unit responded to investigate and process
the possible crime scene. Officers observed and examined the body. The
body was badly bloated and decomposed. The investigators could not
observe any wounds or signs of trauma because of the decomposition.
The body was sent to the Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy.

Doctors from the Hampden County Medical Examiners Office performed the
autopsy on Saturday, 04/11. It is still undetermined how long the body
was in the water. The Medical Examiners Office will continue with the
Autopsy today. So far the autopsy showed that the victim suffered
seven gunshot wounds to the torso, back, leg and foot. The cause of
death has been ruled a Homicide.

Detectives from the Crime Scene Unit attended the autopsy and were
able to get pictures of tattoos on the body. They were also able to
get one fingerprint, (the other fingers were badly decomposed.)
Detectives were able to get an identification through the print and
the tattoos.
The victim has been identified as ....

Ruben Ortiz age 31, last known address is 91 Malden Street,
Springfield


The victim has a long history with the Springfield Police and the
Hampden County Courts. He has been arrested numerous times for selling
both Heroin and Cocaine in various school zones and for crimes of
violence. He was a known "Latin King" gang member and has been
sentenced twice since 2000 to Massachusetts Criminal Institutions. His
last arrest a few months ago was in Clinton, MA.

It should be noted that Mr. Ortiz was possibly in the Canal for a
couple of weeks or more and nobody filed a missing person report with
police because of his disappearance.
Members of the Springfield Police Departments Homicide Unit under the
direction of Capt. Robert Mc Farlin worked through the Easter weekend
on the this, the city's fifth Homicide of 2009.

Sgt. John Delaney
Executive Aide to Police Commissioner
Springfield Police Department
413-787-6313 (office)