Judge sets $ 5 million bail for murder suspect

KING COUNTY, Wash .– A man charged with murdering Zoey Martinez, 20, and dumping her body in an alleyway in Seattle’s Phinney Ridge neighborhood, has had his bail set at $ 5 million.

SPD investigators, along with U.S. marshals, arrested Jacaree Hardy in Renton on Wednesday without incident, authorities said. He was found hiding under a bed.

Martinez, who lived in Maple Valley, disappeared after arranging to meet Hardy. His parents said she met him on Facebook. They said Hardy owed him money, but they didn’t know why.

Police say Zoey was shot two minutes after getting into the suspect’s car. A nearby surveillance camera captured mouth flashes.

Zoey’s family made it very difficult to cover up the suspect, posting Hardy’s photo everywhere.

Zoey’s father, Craig Martinez, was determined to get the police to arrest Hardy, who was wanted for his murder.

“I wasn’t going to let him get away. I wasn’t going to stop until he got caught. I didn’t care how much it cost. I was going to keep going everyday until he got caught, ”said Craig Martinez.

He received a call from the police on Wednesday that Hardy had been arrested at a Renton apartment. After refusing to go out, he was found hiding under a bed.

“It’s a terrible situation. We wanted Zoey to be vindicated and this guy, he finally got caught and I’m really happy that day has come, ”said Craig Martinez.

Zoey Martinez was found shot dead in an alley near North 73rd Street and Greenwood Avenue North on September 1.

According to court documents, Martinez’s debit card was lost and she believed Hardy had withdrawn $ 1,100 from her bank account.

She reported the fraud to the police and arranged to meet with Hardy near her home in Maple Valley.

Investigators said Martinez was nervous to meet Hardy and asked her friend to come in a separate car.

But before Martinez’s friend arrived, Martinez got into Hardy’s car, where detectives said he shot her five times.

Investigators said Hardy stepped up to speed when Zoey’s friend Martinez arrived. The friend reported her missing.

Hours later, Martinez’s still body was found in an alleyway by an early morning jogger.

At around 5 a.m., the jogger reported officers, who confirmed Martinez was dead.

Investigators questioned Hardy’s phone and found his car with blood on the passenger seat and used cartridge cases inside, court documents show.

Hardy had been on the run for a month before he was caught.

He will be brought to justice for second degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm on October 21.

KIRO 7 has spoken to Craig Martinez’s family and they plan to be in court that day.

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