A man was arrested Wednesday in connection to the murder of a woman who was found dead in a Southwest Miami-Dade canal last month.

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office charged Saul Garcia Gonzalez, 40, with second-degree murder.

Detectives said Gonzalez killed his girlfriend, 37-year old Nerida Martel, in October before reporting her missing to police.

Gonzalez gave conflicting reports on when he last saw Martel after she went missing on October 6, according to an arrest affidavit. On October 11, Martel’s body was found floating in a canal near the home she lived in with Gonzalez and their two-year old daughter. The canal is located on Southwest 168th Street and 205 th Avenue.

Deputies spent weeks investigating the case. They used phone records to determine that Gonzalez was at the same canal

See Full Page