2 Men Freed as Search for Boy’s Killer Goes On

Investigators continued their search Tuesday for the killer of 10-year-old Anthony Michael Martinez of Beaumont after dismissing two suspects who had been held for questioning.

Both men--one arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department and another by the California Highway Patrol in San Bernardino--were discounted as suspects after being interviewed Monday by FBI agents.

Each was said to bear a resemblance to the suspect in Anthony’s knifepoint abduction April 4.

The two were among more than 100 people who have been questioned because they were either identified by informants as suspects, or simply looked like the kidnapper, said Beaumont Police Lt. John Acosta.

The latter was the case Monday when a motorist called the CHP on his cellular phone to say that a motorist alongside him on Interstate 10 looked like Anthony’s abductor, based on an artist’s sketch. The suspicion heightened when the man tried to flee from the CHP officer who pulled behind him, according to CHP spokesman Kevin Martin.

But he was dismissed as a kidnapping suspect after being interviewed by the FBI, Martin said. He was, however, arrested for trying to avoid capture and held on parole violation charges.

“Everybody wants to catch this guy,” Martin said Tuesday of the hunt for Anthony’s killer.

The other suspect was arrested by the LAPD on Monday for driving without a license and, because of his appearance, was also interviewed by the FBI.

“We looked at him, but determined he’s not our prime suspect,” Acosta said. “He was one of many--in the hundred category--we’ve looked at.”

Despite the false hopes, Acosta was appreciative of the efforts by the public and other police departments looking for the suspect. “A lot of agencies are out there, hustling, and that is good,” he said.

Anthony’s body was found near Indio on Saturday. His kidnapper is described as a white male, about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with a thin build and blue eyes. At the time, he wore a mustache and was driving a white, four-door sedan with red pinstripes.