Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay police charge 2 with murder in Rene Sortolovo death

A 17-year-old girl and a 22-year-old man from Thunder Bay have been charged with 2nd degree murder in connection with the death of 51-year-old Rene Sortolovo.

Rene Sortolovo, 51, found dead in Marks Street home on Oct. 19

Rene Sortolovo's body was discovered in his North Marks Street residence on Sunday, Oct. 19. His death was deemed a homicide on Oct. 20, following a post mortem examination. (CBC)

A 17-year-old girl and a 22-year-old man from Thunder Bay have been charged with 2nd degree murder in connection with the death of 51-year-old Rene Sortolovo.

Sortolovo's body was discovered in his North Marks Street residence on Sunday, Oct. 19. His death was deemed a homicide on Oct. 20, following a post mortem examination.

Investigators with the Thunder Bay Police Criminal Investigations Unit said they believe that there was a relationship between the two accused, and that one of the accused was known to the victim.

Robbery is believed to be the motive for the homicide, police said in a news release Thursday.

The pair was located by police in the city's south core, just before 6 p.m. Wednesday. They were taken into custody by the Community Response Team without incident, police said.

The man's name will be released once he has made his first court appearance, which is expected on Friday.

Sortolovo "was originally from El Salvador. He was a resident of Thunder Bay dating back to the 1990's. At the time of his death, he lived alone in his North Marks Street residence," police said in an earlier news release.

Sortolovo was Thunder Bay's tenth homicide victim of the year

On mobile? Click here to see our map of Thunder Bay homicides in 2014.