Stamford Man Faces Manslaughter Charge in Death of Girlfriend

A 29-year-old Stamford man is facing a first-degree manslaughter charge after he claimed he accidentally strangled his girlfriend last year while trying to keep her calm in the back seat of a friend’s car.

Cesar Martinez, 29, of Greyrock Place, was arraigned in state Superior Court in Bridgeport on Monday, according to the Connecticut Post. Judge Maria Kahn set the bond at $250,000 and continued the case to Dec. 12, according to the report.

It was in the early morning of April 8, 2013, that Connecticut State Police spotted two men pushing a Honda sport utility vehicle on I-95 northbound in Fairfield. Police said they found 23-year-old Brenda Hernandez of Bridgeport lying across the back seat and not breathing.

Defense attorney Guy Soares said that Hernandez had kicked out the SUV’s back window and that Martinez held her down to prevent her from injuring herself further.

The Connecticut Post report can be found here.

Patch file photo.

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