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Garner, Johnston County

Garner: Man charged with murder in Oct. 11 Super 8 motel killing, sheriff says

Jose Francisco Banegas-Quintanilla, 28, is held on murder, robbery and stolen-vehicle counts in Victor Manuel Martinez-Rivera's death. The jail roster lists a Saturday booking on murder.

DevelopingOfficials are still releasing information. We update this story as facts are confirmed.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

The welcome sign at the edge of Garner, N.C.

File photo: DiscoA340 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • Victor Manuel Martinez-Rivera, 37, of Charlotte, was found dead with gunshot wounds in a second-floor room at the Super 8 Motel on Leone Court in Garner on Oct. 11, 2026, according to the Johnston County Sheriff's Office.Confirmed by Johnston County Sheriff's Office, as reported by JoCo Report, CBS 17, WSOC and The News & Observer (Oct. 26, 2026)
  • Monday accounts citing that office say deputies were sent there about 8:50 p.m. and that Johnston County EMS pronounced him dead at the scene.Confirmed by Johnston County Sheriff's Office, as reported by JoCo Report, CBS 17 and WSOC (Oct. 26, 2026)
  • Jose Francisco Banegas-Quintanilla, 28, of Charlotte, is charged with murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, those accounts say.Confirmed by Johnston County Sheriff's Office, as reported by JoCo Report, CBS 17, WSOC and The News & Observer (Oct. 26, 2026)
  • The Johnston County inmate roster, fetched Monday afternoon, lists BANEGAS-QUINTANILLA, JOSE, age 28, booked Oct. 24, 2026, with a murder charge and a murder arrest date of Oct. 24. The public roster does not list the robbery or stolen-vehicle counts.Confirmed by Johnston County Inmate Inquiry, name id 608583 (fetched Oct. 26, 2026)
  • Investigators allege he left the motel in Martinez-Rivera's vehicle. Detectives followed a path from Johnston County to Charlotte and later to Kinston, where the vehicle was found abandoned in a business parking lot.Confirmed by Johnston County Sheriff's Office, as reported by JoCo Report, CBS 17, WSOC and The News & Observer (Oct. 26, 2026)
  • On Friday, Oct. 23, detectives determined he was staying in a trailer on a Pitt County hog farm, obtained a search warrant, and, with the Pitt County Sheriff's Office and Greenville Police Department, took him into custody without a fight, those Monday accounts say. He was returned to Johnston County that night.Confirmed by Johnston County Sheriff's Office, as reported by JoCo Report, CBS 17, WSOC and The News & Observer (Oct. 26, 2026)
  • Sheriff Steve Bizzell said the work involved "old fashioned detective work" and that detectives "never wavered until the murder suspect was in custody."Confirmed by Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell, as reported by JoCo Report, CBS 17 and WSOC (Oct. 26, 2026)
  • The office also credited the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Wake County Sheriff's Office, Lenoir County Sheriff's Office, Pitt County Sheriff's Office, Kinston Police Department, Greenville Police Department, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and North Carolina State Highway Patrol Air Wing Division.Confirmed by Johnston County Sheriff's Office, as reported by JoCo Report and WSOC (Oct. 26, 2026)
  • The News & Observer, citing court records, wrote that a murder warrant was issued Oct. 13.Confirmed by Court records, as reported by The News & Observer (Oct. 26, 2026)
  • A search of the county sheriff pages on Monday afternoon found the inmate roster and no matching written news release posted there.Confirmed by Johnston County Sheriff's Office inmate inquiry and public pages (fetched Oct. 26, 2026)

Alleged or reported

  • Banegas-Quintanilla committed murder, robbed Martinez-Rivera with a dangerous weapon, and possessed a stolen motor vehicle.Johnston County Sheriff's Office charging decision, as reported by JoCo Report, CBS 17, WSOC and The News & Observer. A charge is an accusation. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court
  • He stole Martinez-Rivera's silver 2016 Toyota RAV4 and threatened him with a handgun.Arrest warrant as reported by The News & Observer from court records. That warrant language was not in the JoCo Report, CBS 17 or WSOC accounts we read

Still unknown

  • What investigators say happened inside the room
  • Whether more people will be charged
  • A first-appearance date
  • Why the jail roster's Saturday, Oct. 24 booking and murder-arrest date differs from Friday-night return language in Monday's outlet accounts
  • A written sheriff news release we can read ourselves

What this means for you

Public safety
A charge is an accusation. Banegas-Quintanilla is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. This story is not an official or emergency notice. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Instructions from Johnston County Sheriff's Office inmate inquiry

This site is not the Johnston County Sheriff's Office, the Pitt County Sheriff's Office or Garner police. For the case, use the sheriff's office. The jail inquiry line listed on the roster page is 919-989-5010. This is not an emergency service. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Garner, Johnston County deputies found a Charlotte man dead of gunshot wounds at the Super 8 Motel on Leone Court on Oct. 11, according to the sheriff's office.

Monday reports from JoCo Report, CBS 17, WSOC and The News & Observer, all citing that office, say the call came about 8:50 p.m. and that EMS pronounced Victor Manuel Martinez-Rivera, 37, dead in a second-floor room.

Jose Francisco Banegas-Quintanilla, 28, also of Charlotte, is charged with murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. The county jail roster, checked Monday afternoon, lists him under that last name, age 28, booked Oct. 24 on a murder charge. The public list does not show the robbery or vehicle counts.

Investigators allege he left in Martinez-Rivera's car. Detectives followed a path from Johnston County to Charlotte and later to Kinston, where the vehicle was found empty in a business parking lot.

On Friday, Oct. 23, they decided he was staying in a trailer on a Pitt County hog farm, got a search warrant, and, with Pitt County deputies and Greenville officers, took him into custody without a fight. Those Monday accounts say he was brought back that night. The jail's booking and murder-arrest date is Saturday, Oct. 24.

Sheriff Steve Bizzell said the work was "old fashioned detective work" and that detectives "never wavered until the murder suspect was in custody."

Court records summarized by the Raleigh newspaper said a murder warrant was issued Oct. 13 and alleged he stole Martinez-Rivera's silver 2016 Toyota RAV4 and threatened him with a handgun.

A charge is an accusation. Banegas-Quintanilla is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The office also thanked several other agencies, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, the Wake County Sheriff's Office, the State Bureau of Investigation and the Highway Patrol air wing.

We have not found a written news release on the county site. For the case, call the sheriff. The jail inquiry line on the roster page is 919-989-5010. This site is not that office. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What we don't know yet

Officials have not said what happened inside the room, whether more people will be charged, or when a first appearance is set. They have not explained why the jail date and the Friday-night return language differ.

What happens next

We will update this story if the sheriff posts a written release, if the public roster adds the other counts, or if a court date is set.

Photos

Text-only. No jail mugshot or outlet photos are used here.

Why it matters

Johnston County has charged a man in the Oct. 11 killing of a visitor at a Super 8 on Leone Court, just off I-40. The public jail list confirms a murder booking. Readers need a clear account of what the sheriff has released, that a charge is not a conviction, and that the Friday-night and Saturday dates do not match.

Updates

  1. Oct 26, 2026, 2:10 PM

    JoCo Report, CBS 17, WSOC and The News & Observer, citing the Johnston County Sheriff's Office, report Jose Francisco Banegas-Quintanilla, 28, is charged with murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a stolen motor vehicle in the Oct. 11 death of Victor Manuel Martinez-Rivera, 37, at the Super 8 on Leone Court. The jail roster lists a Saturday, Oct. 24 murder booking.

Sources

  1. Johnston County Inmate Inquiry (fetched Oct. 26, 2026, afternoon ET: BANEGAS-QUINTANILLA, JOSE; age 28; race W; sex M; booking date October 24, 2026; charge MURDER; arrest date October 24, 2026; name id 608583. Roster header on the agree-to-terms list said data last updated Monday, October 26, 2026, 8:10 a.m. Text-only; no jail photo used.)

    Official sourcePublished by Johnston County Sheriff's Office · Checked Oct 26, 2026, 2:08 PM

  2. Man Charged With Murder, Robbery In Johnston County Motel Shooting (JoCo Report, Oct. 26, 2026: Johnston County Sheriff's Office; Jose Francisco Banegas-Quintanilla, 28; murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a stolen motor vehicle; held without bond; Victor Manuel Martinez-Rivera, 37, of Charlotte; about 8:50 p.m. Oct. 11; Super 8 Motel at 101 Leone Court, Garner, just off Interstate 40 in the Cleveland community; second-floor room; gunshot wounds; Johnston County EMS pronounced dead at the scene; fled in Martinez-Rivera's vehicle; tracked to Charlotte then Kinston; vehicle abandoned in a business parking lot; Friday, Oct. 23, trailer on a Pitt County hog farm; search warrant; Pitt County Sheriff's Office and Greenville Police; custody without incident; returned Friday night; Sheriff Steve Bizzell quote; assisting agencies listed; case remains under investigation. Text-only; no mugshot used.)

    Official sourcePublished by Johnston County Sheriff's Office, via JoCo Report · Checked Oct 26, 2026, 2:08 PM

  3. Suspect charged with murder in Garner Super 8 shooting: Johnston County sheriff (CBS 17 / WNCN, posted 12:54 p.m. Oct. 26, 2026: Johnston County Sheriff's Office; José Francisco Banegas-Quintanilla of Charlotte; Friday arrest in Pitt County; Victor Manuel Martinez-Rivera, 37; Super 8 on Leone Court about 8:50 p.m. Oct. 11; second-floor room; gunshot wounds; EMS pronounced dead; fled in the victim's vehicle; tracked to Charlotte then Kinston; vehicle recovered abandoned; Friday, trailer on a hog farm; search warrant with Pitt County Sheriff's Office and Greenville Police; returned that night; held without bond; murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a stolen motor vehicle; Bizzell statement. Read via the station's public WordPress JSON because the HTML page returned 403 here. Text-only; no CBS 17 photos used.)

    Published by CBS 17 (WNCN) · Checked Oct 26, 2026, 2:08 PM

  4. Charlotte man arrested on hog farm in connection with fatal motel shooting (WSOC, posted Oct. 26, 2026, 1:21 p.m. EDT: Johnston County Sheriff's Office; José Francisco Banegas-Quintanilla, 28; murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a stolen motor vehicle; Oct. 11 death of Victor Manuel Martinez-Rivera, 37; Super 8 Motel on Leone Court in Garner; about 8:50 p.m.; second-floor room; gunshot wounds; EMS pronounced dead; left in Martinez-Rivera's vehicle; tracked to Charlotte then Kinston; vehicle abandoned in a business parking lot; Friday, Pitt County farm trailer; search warrant; Pitt County Sheriff's Office and Greenville Police; custody without incident; returned Friday night; held without bond; Bizzell quote; assisting agencies listed. Text-only; no WSOC photos used.)

    Published by WSOC · Checked Oct 26, 2026, 2:08 PM

  5. Manhunt for NC murder suspect crisscrossed state until he was found on a hog farm (The News & Observer, Twumasi Duah-Mensah, Oct. 26, 2026, 12:45 p.m.: Johnston County Sheriff's Office said Monday; Jose Francisco Banegas-Quintanilla, 28; arrested and transported Friday night; accused of killing Victor Manuel Martinez-Rivera, 37, at the Garner Super 8 Motel on Oct. 11; dead with gunshot wounds in the second-floor room; fled in Martinez-Rivera's vehicle; Johnston County to Charlotte to Kinston; murder warrant issued Oct. 13, court records show; Friday, trailer on a Pitt County hog farm; Pitt County Sheriff's Office and Greenville Police; custody without incident; also robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a stolen motor vehicle; warrant alleged he stole Martinez-Rivera's silver 2016 Toyota RAV4 and threatened him with a handgun. Text-only; no N&O photos used.)

    Published by The News & Observer · Checked Oct 26, 2026, 2:08 PM

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