Three plead guilty to fatal beating of Salvadoran man in Suffolk

Three men pleaded guilty Jan. 14 to first-degree manslaughter for their roles in the 2025 beating, strangulation and stabbing death of 39-year-old Candido Guadalupe Saravia Martinez, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced. The defendants admitted to attacking the victim and leaving him to die in a tent on the side of the road.

The three who entered guilty pleas are Brayan Heredia Escobar, 20, a Guatemalan national; Jhon Lopez Campos, 18, an El Salvadoran national; and Julio Beltran, 40, an El Salvadoran national. Prosecutors said the defendants admitted to a brutal assault that combined beating, strangulation and stabbing, and the case will result in significant prison sentences.

District Attorney Tierney credited investigative work by law enforcement and preparation by prosecutors that led to the guilty pleas. By resolving the case through pleas rather than a contested trial, the criminal justice process will move directly to sentencing, where judges will determine the specific terms and length of incarceration.

The facts of the killing—the assault and the victim being left in a tent by the roadside—have immediate implications for several Suffolk County communities. The circumstances highlight vulnerability among people living outdoors and the potential for extreme violence in public spaces. The outcome also matters to immigrant residents who may fear both victimization and barriers to reporting crime; the case shows local prosecutors are pursuing serious charges when violent crimes occur.

For public safety and civic accountability, the guilty pleas close a major evidentiary stage and shift attention to sentencing and victim services. Sentencing hearings will formalize the penalties and provide an opportunity for the court to consider victim impact statements and the records of the defendants. Local leaders and community groups may use the case to press for resources directed at preventing similar attacks, supporting survivors, and improving outreach to immigrant residents.

This development is a reminder that violent crime prosecuted as first-degree manslaughter carries substantial penalties, and that coordination between investigators and prosecutors can produce convictions without a trial. Residents should expect the case to return to court for sentencing, and for county officials and nonprofit partners to face renewed calls to address the conditions that contribute to street-level violence.