It was probably a twist nobody was expecting! Saul Garcia Gonzalez, 40, a Florida man, allegedly told authorities that his girlfriend, who was missing, was detained by ICE agents. However, the investigation ultimately revealed something shocking, and the man could be well on the way to prison now.
Gonzalez is facing second-degree murder charges after the body of his girlfriend, Nerida Martel, 37, was found on October 11. According to the authorities, the remains were discovered in a canal about three blocks from where she lived with the man. On Thursday, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s office announced, “[The victim] had been reported missing by the subject days before she was found.”
They added, “Through investigative means, MDSO Homicide Bureau detectives were able to determine that the victim had been murdered by [Gonzalez].” The statement also revealed that Martel had been shot in the head.
Man who said missing girlfriend may have been picked up by ICE is now charged with her murder https://t.co/xkHmZtzEmR
— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) November 30, 2025
Her body was found less than a week after she was reported missing by Saul Garcia Gonzalez on October 6. According to local outlet WPLG, he told investigators that that day Martel was supposed to find her own ride to work as Gonzalez took their 2-year-old daughter to the daycare.
However, when he revealed the disappearance to his family, his story completely changed. “[Gonzalez] told the family friend that he believed the victim was possibly in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel,” according to the court documents.
According to the investigator, there were already some signs that the woman was trying to end the relationship, as she complained to family members about Gonzalez being “verbally abusive” towards her. A criminal filing says, “The victim had reached out to a friend seeking a place to stay only for her and her daughter, which indicates that the victim was attempting to leave the defendant and end their relationship.”
This was just one of the evidence that pointed towards Gonzalez’s wrongdoing. The suspicion solidified when Martel’s cellphone was located where her body was ultimately found. However, she left the cellphone at home before going out for work.
Florida landscaper accused of murdering girlfriend had claimed she’d been picked up by ICE https://t.co/LvaibYHerd pic.twitter.com/KC9lMYi9Gm
— New York Post (@nypost) November 28, 2025
“The defendant’s device then traveled back to the canal, where the victim’s body was discovered. The defendant’s device stayed near the canal, traveling around it, until he drove back to his residence. Moments later, both of the devices traveled together to the east side of the canal … the victim’s device was then turned off,” the arrest report says.
On Wednesday, Gonzalez was apprehended at a shopping center, as reported by WTVJ, a local NBC affiliate. Authorities confirmed that “the evidence collected in this case refutes all of the statements that the defendant provided,” prior to the investigation.
“The evidence also showed that the defendant was never at a bus stop dropping off the victim and that he did not go straight to work after he dropped off their daughter,” the arrest report says. According to his court records, Gonzalez is now being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He was denied bond and is now waiting for his next court date.
