In the early morning hours of April 1, 2025, the body of 31-year-old Ovidio Arnoldo Zecena-Mateo, a male resident of Laurel, Maryland, was discovered behind a residence in the 1000 block of Marton Street. Initially, the Laurel Police Department launched a suspicious death investigation, but it was quickly reclassified as a homicide after it was determined that Zecena-Mateo had been shot and killed.
Investigators believe the fatal shooting occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m.
As the investigation progressed, Laurel Police detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division identified a suspect in the shooting death of Zecena-Mateo. Noe Manrique Garcia-Umanzor, a 19-year-old from Temple Hills, Maryland, was identified as the individual allegedly responsible for the death. Police did not immediately release details about what led them to suspect Garcia-Umanzor. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have encouraged anyone with information about the incident to come forward.
Following his identification as the primary suspect, Noe Manrique Garcia-Umanzor was arrested by the Laurel Police Department. He has since been charged with first-degree murder and other related criminal charges in connection with the death of Ovidio Arnoldo Zecena-Mateo. The police have asked that anyone with additional information contact the Laurel Police Department.
