Teen arrested in death of 19-year-old East Boston woman
Blanca Lainez
Police have arrested a suspect in the killing of a 19-year-old woman who was found dead in an East Boston garage last month.
Jose Hernandez, 16, of East Boston, was arrested Sunday morning for the murder of Blanca Lainez, police said. The teen is expected to be arraigned on a murder charge Monday in East Boston Municipal Court.
“This arrest is evidence of our commitment to justice for the victims and survivors of homicide,” Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said in a statement. “I want to commend the efforts of my detectives and all those who worked tirelessly during this investigation. I pray that this arrest brings some level of comfort to the family.”
Construction workers discovered Lainez’s body on Princeton Street, where she was found lying on top of pieces of wood with her arms over her face, covered in blood, police said. Authorities determined Lainez had suffered stab wounds and blunt force injuries, and pronounced her dead at the scene.
Lainez left El Salvador at 16 and had most recently lived in Chelsea. The consul general of El Salvador in Boston made arrangements to send her body back to her family — marking the third time in a year she’s sent a deceased teen Salvadorian immigrant’s body back home.
After an investigation into phone records, video surveillance footage, and forensic evidence, police obtained a warrant for Hernandez Saturday. They placed the teen under arrest on Marion Street in East Boston around 7 a.m. Sunday.
“This arrest reflects a nonstop investigation into a crime of brutal violence,” Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley said in a statement. “But that investigation is still very active, and we urge anyone with additional information to share it with police and prosecutors. Every tip, however small, brings us closer to finding justice for Blanca and her loved ones.”
Police are continuing to investigate Lainez’s death and ask that anyone with additional information contact detectives at 617-343-4470.
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