Third person of interest emerges at Irondequoit murder trial
During day three of the Irondequoit family murder trial, an Irondequoit police sergeant testified that phone records from victims Fraime Ubaldo and Marangely Moreno-Santiago led investigators to a third person of interest. Defense attorneys allege Moreno-Santiago was having an affair with that man and had previously stolen cocaine with him. Prosecutors still say brothers Julio and Luis Soriano killed the family over a missing drug package, but the newly disclosed person of interest could reshape how jurors weigh motive.
Key Takeaways
- An Irondequoit police sergeant said phone records from both victims pointed investigators to a third person of interest.
- Defense teams allege Marangely Moreno-Santiago was having an affair with a man named Alberto and had stolen cocaine with him.
- Brothers Julio Cesar Pimentel-Soriano and Luis Francisco Soriano face first-degree murder and arson charges in the August 2024 Knapp Avenue killings.
- Prosecutors say the brothers killed four family members over a missing drug package; the trial uses two separate juries and may last four to five weeks.
- Day four testimony from a responding officer sparked denied mistrial requests after emotional descriptions of the basement crime scene.
Who is the third person of interest in the Irondequoit trial?
On Monday—the third day of testimony and exactly two years after the family was found dead—an Irondequoit police sergeant told jurors that investigators reviewed phone records belonging to Ubaldo and Moreno-Santiago. Those records, he said, led them to a third person of interest.
Defense attorneys allege Moreno-Santiago was having an affair with that man. WHEC reported that an investigator confirmed records indicated she was involved with a man named Alberto and that the two had stolen cocaine together. Luis Soriano's attorney, Paul Guerrieri, argued the evidence will show a cocaine package was taken from the Knapp Avenue home and that Moreno-Santiago helped collect drugs tied to the case.
What happened to the Ubaldo family on Knapp Avenue?
Prosecutors say Fraime Ubaldo, 30; his girlfriend, Marangely Moreno-Santiago, 26; and their children, 4-year-old Evangeline and 2-year-old Sebastian, were killed in August 2024 in the basement of their Irondequoit home on Knapp Avenue. The house was then set on fire.
Police and firefighters responded to the scene on Aug. 31, 2024. On day three, the first officer to arrive testified, and body camera footage shown in court captured several bodies on the basement floor. On day four, another officer became emotional while describing how the victims were positioned, prompting both defense teams to request a mistrial; the judge denied those motions.
Why are the Soriano brothers on trial?
Julio Cesar Pimentel-Soriano and Luis Francisco Soriano—cousins of Fraime Ubaldo—face charges including first-degree murder, arson, kidnapping, and burglary. Prosecutors allege the brothers killed the family in retribution after Luis Soriano believed Ubaldo stole a package of drugs delivered to the home.
Investigators arrested Julio Soriano about a week after the killings. Luis Soriano fled to Puerto Rico, then the Dominican Republic, before U.S. Marshals arrested him in June 2025. A former coworker testified Luis appeared nervous and asked him to buy a plane ticket three days after the murders; a ticket to Puerto Rico was later purchased.
What comes next in this double-jury murder trial?
The case is being heard by two separate juries—one for each defendant—with each man represented by his own attorney. Guerrieri told reporters that separate trials might have been preferred, but prosecutors and the court opted for one proceeding for judicial economy.
Testimony was scheduled to resume Wednesday, with the trial expected to run four to five weeks. For more coverage of major courtroom developments, see our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries section. Primary reporting is available from 13WHAM-TV.