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Friday, April 14, 2023
Vol. 72, No. 15
N E W H Y D E PA R K
TOP BUSINESS LEADERS
ACTIVISTS TARGET EDUCATORS
A GOP CHALLENGER FOR SANTOS
PAGES S1-S60
PAGE 3
PAGE 8
Man convicted of murdering ex at Belmont
PUGS BUNNY
Franco-Martinez, of Elmont, traveled from Kansas to kill former girlfriend BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y An Elmont man was convicted Tuesday of murdering his ex-girlfriend at Belmont Racetrack, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced Wednesday. Jose Franco-Martinez, 58, stabbed his ex-girlfriend, Maria Larin, multiple times around her body with a silver kitchen knife as she was working with horses on the track, the DA’s office said. He faces a potential maximum of 25 years to life in prison after being convicted of murder in the second degree. He is due back in court May 19 for sentencing. Franco-Martinez wasupset with Larin after their romantic relationship ended, according to the District Attorney’s Office. “This defendant drove more than 1,000 miles across the country to murder his ex-girlfriend after he began to suspect that she was seeing another man. Without warning, on Father’s Day morning in 2018, he showed up to the Belmont Racetrack where she worked, waited for her to appear, and without uttering a single word, viciously attacked her with a knife,” Donnelly said in a statement. “He stabbed and cut her 23 times as her co-workers ran over to try and
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LAKEVILLE ESTATES CIVIC ASSOCIATION
Two members of the Lakeville Estates Civic Association celebrate Easter with their dogs.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NASSAU COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
Jose Franco-Martinez, of Elmont, was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend. save her life. Thankfully, staff at Belmont responded quickly and apprehended this defendant before he could flee. Our prayers are with the Larin family as they mourn this completely senseless loss.” Continued on Page 46
F.P. Library keeps up with the times after 100 years BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y
to remain as vital a part of the community as it can be. “That’s what keeps us busy as The library may not look the same as it once did a century ago we try new, creative things,” Eren when it first opened its doors on Ty- said in an interview with Blank Slate son Block, but its main objective is Media. “My vision for the library was
to get as much involved with Floral Park as possible.” Eren, who joined the library in 2001 before being named director in 2016, has overseen many changes in Continued on Page 47
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