Key Club trainer arrested for first-degree murder

Longboat Key and Cranston, R.I. police officers, along with Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputies, converged upon the Resort at Longboat Key Club Jan. 29 to arrest a trainer on first-degree murder charges.

Officers arrested Carlos Manuel Reyes-Sanchez, 30, late that morning without incident at the resort’s fitness center shortly after Cranston, R.I. police issued a warrant for his arrest.

The charges stem from the 2012 death of Victor Baez, 49, whom police found lying in the street in front of his home Jan. 30, 2012, Cranston Patch reported. Cranston police believe that Baez was involved in an altercation at a Providence nightclub that continued at a house party.

Police said he fled the party in a cab, and at least two individuals, one of whom was Reyes-Sanchez, beat him then ran him over with their vehicle.

Baez was hospitalized in critical condition and died of his injuries May 26, 2012, nearly four months after the attack. The medical examiner determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma.

Cranston police continued to investigate and flew to Clearwater to investigate a lead in October, according to reports, and also worked with the Boston Police Department. Three detectives traveled to Sarasota last week, where they worked closely with sheriff’s deputies and determined they had sufficient evidence to charge Reyes-Sanchez.

A Rhode Island judge signed an arrest warrant the morning of Jan. 29.

Sheriff’s records show that Reyes-Sanchez, who lived in the 3700 block of South Osprey Drive in Sarasota, was arrested two days earlier on misdemeanor charges of driving with a suspended or revoked license and misdemeanor marijuana possession. He was released on $620 bond for those cases.

Reyes-Sanchez was booked at 1:22 p.m. into the Sarasota County Jail and is being held without bond as he awaits extradition to Rhode Island. He has agreed to waive his right to fight extradition.

LONGBOAT KEY CLUB STATEMENT
“What we can communicate to you at this time is that we do not have all the details about the situation surrounding (the) incident and we will work with the authorities if requested.  With respect to confidentiality we cannot share any information about the individual involved.”

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected]