On the evening of August 13, 2019, the body of 28-year-old Jean Carlos Rentas-Figueroa, a male resident of Rochester, was discovered on the shoulder of Route 96 in the Town of Phelps. An investigation revealed he had been killed by a single gunshot to the head. Authorities quickly determined the death was a homicide and that it appeared to be directly connected to drugs.
The investigation, a collaborative effort involving the Ontario County Sheriff's Office, Rochester City Police
Department, New York State Police, and federal agencies, soon focused on individuals known to the victim. It was reported that Rentas-Figueroa and the men suspected of his murder had been living together in the Rochester area. Within weeks, the investigation led to the apprehension of two suspects.
Omar Antonio Martinez-Salome, 28, of Rochester, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. A second individual, Luis Boffil-Leyro, was also implicated in the crime and faced the same charge. Both men were accused of taking part in the killing of Rentas-Figueroa and leaving his body alongside the highway.
Following the arrests, the legal process began to unfold. Pretrial hearings for Martinez-Salome and Boffil-Leyro were scheduled, and by early 2020, trial dates had been set for both men in Ontario County Court. The prosecution prepared to present its case, alleging a drug-related motive for the fatal shooting that ended the life of Jean Carlos Rentas-Figueroa.
