A portion of Hanover Road in Meriden was closed on Monday as investigators returned to gather more evidence following the fatal stabbing of 44-year-old Justin Sloan Sr.
At the same time, 19-year-old Josue Ortega-Torres appeared in court.
“He has no criminal record, but he is in the AR program out of this court for an arrest back in March of 2022 for criminal trespass one, interfering and failure to submit fingerprints,” a court official said.
According to the Meriden Police Department, Ortega-Torres stabbed Sloan multiple times on Saturday evening. Sloan was pronounced dead at the hospital.
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Ortega-Torres was brought into custody after an hours-long standoff involving multiple police agencies.
According to court documents, a gun was found in Ortega-Torres’ bedroom. However, there has been no word on a potential murder weapon.
Ortega-Torres is facing murder charges. According to the teen's attorney, several of his family members were in the courtroom on Monday.
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“He has no less than six persons here today, who have supported him his entire life and will continue to do so,” Ortega-Torres’ attorney said.
According to an incident report, witnesses told police they saw two men get into an argument Saturday evening.
Meriden police said the investigation is ongoing and they do not believe the two men knew each other.
A vigil is growing near the area where police say Sloan was killed.
Ortega-Torres is being held on a $5 million bond and his next court date is scheduled for Aug. 2.
