In the early morning hours of April 1, 2025, the body of Ovidio Arnoldo Zecena-Mateo was discovered behind a residence in Laurel, Maryland. Zecena-Mateo was a 31-year-old male who lived in the city. His discovery in the 1000 block of Marton Street prompted the Laurel Police Department to launch an investigation.
What began as a suspicious death investigation was quickly reclassified as a homicide after it was determined that Zecena-Mateo had been shot and killed. Investigators came to believe that the fatal shooting had occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. that morning.
As detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division worked the case, they asked for the community’s help. Police requested that neighbors in the Laurel Hills neighborhood review their doorbell and home camera footage for any suspicious activity or speeding vehicles that may have been recorded between 12:30 a.m.
and 2:30 a.m. on the morning of the murder.
Through their investigation, authorities identified a suspect in the shooting. Noe Manrique Garcia-Umanzor, a 19-year-old from Temple Hills, Maryland, was arrested by the Laurel Police Department. He was charged with first-degree murder and other related criminal offenses. Noe Manrique Garcia-Umanzor was later convicted by a jury in connection with the homicide of Ovidio Arnoldo Zecena-Mateo.
