Suspect Now Arrested for Murder in Hudson Valley Cold Case

Police are celebrating the arrest of a suspect in a Hudson Valley cold case murder that has been left unsolved for years.

This week, the City of Middletown Police Department announced the arrest of a suspect in the 2019 homicide of Sebastian Avilan-Medina. The 26-year-old was found shot to death in an apartment at 23 Knapp Avenue in the City of Middletown.

At the time, police released a photo of two suspects who were wanted for questioning, but after that, the case went cold.

For half a decade, the police did not give up on the case. With assistance from the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the New York State Police and the New York State Division of Parole, the City of Middletown Police got a break in the case.

On Thursday, officers arrested Dijion D. Constantine and charged him with Murder in the Second Degree in the death of Sebastian Avilan-Medina. The 23-year-old Bronx man's mugshot appears to be similar to the photo of suspects released by police after the shooting in 2019. Constantine was arraigned in Middletown City Court on Friday and remanded to the Orange County Jail.

Chief John Ewanciw of the City of Middletown Police Department said the arrest was a major milestone in what he characterized as an extremely "challenging" investigation.

Public Asked to Assist in the Ongoing Investigation

While the arrest is a major step forward, police say the investigation is still ongoing and attempts are being made to identify and charge other suspects in addition to Constantine.

Those who have information about the 2019 murder are being encouraged to contact the City of Middletown Police Department.