Trial begins for 2 men accused of killing Philly officer in airport parking garage
The trial began on Wednesday for two men accused of shooting and killing a Philadelphia police officer at a Philadelphia International Airport parking garage two years ago.
Yobranny Martinez-Fernández, 20, of Camden, New Jersey, Hendrick Peña-Fernández, 23, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, and Alexander Batista-Polanco, 23, of Camden, New Jersey, were all charged in the murder of Officer Richard Mendez, 50, and the assault of Officer Raúl Ortíz.
The murder of Officer Richard Mendez
On Oct. 12, 2023, at 11 p.m., Officer Mendez and Officer Ortíz arrived at a parking garage for terminals D and E at the Philadelphia International Airport to begin their shifts. Officials said the officers heard the sound of shattered glass and confronted a group of four people who were breaking into a vehicle inside the parking garage.
During the confrontation, Mendez was shot multiple times in the upper torso while Ortíz was shot in the arm. Mendez later died from his injuries while Ortiz survived. Officer Mendez served in the department for 22 years and worked in the 25th District before moving to the Airport Unit. He is survived by a wife and daughter.
One of the suspects in the murder, 18-year-old Jesús Hernán Madera Durán of Camden, New Jersey, was also shot during the incident. The other three suspects, identified as Martinez-Fernández, Batista-Polanco, and Peña-Fernández, drove Durán in a stolen vehicle to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where they dropped him off, prosecutors said. Durán was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after.
Prosecutors say the other three suspects eventually drove to Cranbury, New Jersey, where they burned the stolen vehicle in an effort to get rid of DNA evidence. All three were later arrested.
In addition to being charged in Officer Ortiz’s murder, the three suspects were also allegedly part of a multi-state car theft ring in which they stole more than 40 vehicles across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York.
Jury selection in the murder trial of Martinez-Fernández and Peña-Fernández took place on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. Batista-Polanco had pleaded guilty to the murder charges only a few days prior. He is expected to take the stand at some point during the trial.
Prosecutors said phone records and other evidence linked Martinez-Fernández and Peña-Fernández to the crime scenes after Officer Mendez’s murder. During Wednesday’s opening statements, however, Peña-Fernández’s defense attorney said there was “very little evidence to no evidence” that their client was there or participated. Martinez-Fernández’s attorney also called into question the prosecution’s case against his client, stating, “there is no video of what happened,” referencing the lack of cameras inside the airport parking garage on the night of the shooting.
Other family members of fallen officers attended Wednesday’s opening arguments, including the wife of Temple Police Sergeant Christopher Fitzgerald who was shot and killed months before Mendez’s murder.
On Thursday, Nov. 13, the second day of the trial, the jury watched surveillance video of two men — who prosecutors allege are Martinez-Fernández and Peña-Fernández — pulling up to CHOP in the stolen vehicle and dropping off Durán. The jury also heard from several witnesses, including officers who were assigned to the airport and were first on scene following the shooting.
Prosecutor Cydney Pope also played audio of Officer Ortiz’s 911 call.
“Two officers down,” Ortiz shouts in the recording. “I’m shot in the arm! He’s bleeding profusely. Hurry. Oh my God.”
Ortiz then repeatedly screams Officer Mendez’s name and pleads for help.
During cross examination, Martinez-Fernández’s attorney asked several witnesses if they ever saw his client. All of them said no.
The trial is expected to last about a week and a half.
