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Family speaks out after Riverside man Bradley Minder was killed, allegedly by roommate, buried in backyard

Family speaks out after Riverside man Bradley Minder was killed, allegedly by roommate, buried in backyard

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) — The family of a man found buried in the backyard of a Riverside home is speaking out after he was allegedly murdered by his roommate.

“I want that monster to know what a beautiful person he took from us,” Leona Hodo said.

Hodo says she last spoke to her son Bradley Minder on Saturday, October 12, after his alleged roommate ransacked his room.

“He wanted to let me know that he was back at the house and cleaning out his room because the man broke into his room and destroyed a lot of his stuff,” she said.

Three days later, her son’s body was found buried in the backyard of the house.

Riverside police say they were called to a resident in the 8700 block of Sylvan Drive after Minder had not been seen or heard from for several days.

At the home, a man identified as 48-year-old Richard Thomas Martinez made statements claiming he had killed his roommate.

Martinez was held while detectives searched the home. Minder’s remains were found buried in the backyard.

The victim’s family says the two did not know each other and that Martinez occasionally stayed at his grandfather’s house.

“Bradly didn’t really know him, the guy was talking or something. He was out of his mind… on drugs, smoking meth all the time and stuff like that,” said Vinnie Casella, Minder’s brother.

Casella says his brother was ready to leave the house as soon as he found a new room to rent.

“The day after the police arrested the man, he thought he would be safe and not have to worry about the man being gone, and he came back and all his stuff was destroyed,” Casella said.

He says Martinez was initially arrested for disorderly conduct and possession of a controlled substance when he attacked his own grandfather and then searched his brother’s room prior to the murder.

“He never got mad at anyone, he was never an angry person, he was loving and had a heart of gold,” Hodo said.

Minder, the eldest in his family, helped raise his younger siblings and is remembered as kind and protective of those he loved.

“He told me everything was going to be okay and said, ‘I love you mom, you’re my rock,’ and that was the last time I spoke to my son,” she said.

Hodo says she will be in court on Nov. 4 when Martinez is charged with murder.

A GoFundMe An account has been set up to help the family with funeral costs.

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