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4th Person Arrested In Connection With Teen's Death

DENVER (CBS4)- Another person has been arrested in connection with the October 2010 death of a Denver teenager.

Alicia Martinez was 16 when she went missing after a party on Decatur Street. Her dismembered body was found three days later in Edward Romero's garage.

Edward Romero
Edward Romero faces murder charges in the case (credit: Denver Police Department)

Jacquelyn Perea, 29, is the fourth person to be charged in the case. She had reported Martinez missing the day after the party.

Perea,-Jacquelyn
Jacquelyn Perea (credit: Denver Police Dept.)

Prosecutors now say Perea took Martinez to the party and gave her marijuana. She faces charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and has been released on bond.

Remembering Alicia

Wednesday would have been Martinez's 17th birthday. Her classmates celebrated the date at KIPP Denver Collegiate High School, saying they wanted to remember her life and not the horrible way she died.

"Alicia is still going to be remembered in our hearts," one student said to friends who gathered inside the school.

"She'd totally be involved in class but then she'd show up after class with three different pigtails and it would just stop you in your tracks because she brought a lightness," School Leader Kaye Taavialma told CBS4.

Later in the day family members gathered at the cemetery where Martinez's grave lies. They placed flowers on her gravestone and shared stories.

"She was waiting for her 17th birthday. She was so excited about being 17," said Vanessa Martinez, her grandmother. "It's a sad day. This is not where I want to be but we've got to do the best we can."

Related Story: Another Suspect Arrested In Murder Case

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