Police arrested a man wanted in the unsolved murder of a New Britain soldier that happened in Springfield, Massachusetts four years ago.
Bridgeport police took Michael Rodriguez, 30, into custody made a felony extradition arrest on Dec. 1, according to the Connecticut judicial website and the Hampden County district attorney's office in Massachusetts.
Springfield police contacted the Bridgeport Police Department about an active murder arrest warrant for Rodriguez and said they had information he was in Bridgeport, according to Bridgeport police. Three Bridgeport detectives assigned to the U.S. Marshal's task force located Rodriguez at a Central Avenue address on the third floor and took him into custody on the fugitive from justice warrant, police said.
Rodriguez also faces pending charges in the murder of Julian Cartie when he returns to Massachusetts and he didn't waive extradition, according to the Hampden County district attorney's office.
Cartie was shot in front of the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, according to surveillance footage, after leaving to a bar at 2 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009. A man got out of a car after an argument, opened fire and fled in a blue sedan, police said. Cartie was rushed to Baystate Medical Center and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
Cartie played football for New Britain High School and University of Buffalo. He had just completed basic training for the National Guard in Connecticut before he was killed and he was months from being deployed to Afghanistan.
It is unclear if Cartie and Rodriguez knew each other.
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Rodriguez is also due in Bridgeport Superior Court on Dec. 30 for the extradition arrest and is being held in custody on a $500,000 bond.
