Mom of Ruben Ray Martinez, U.S. citizen killed by ICE, speaks out : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x3003+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff3%2Fd2%2Fc97797924d58aab35fb53b292910%2Frachel-reyes-ruben-ray-martinez-019.JPG" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x3003+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff3%2Fd2%2Fc97797924d58aab35fb53b292910%2Frachel-reyes-ruben-ray-martinez-019.JPG" class="img" alt="Rachel Reyes, holds a photo of her son, Ruben Ray Martinez." fetchpriority="high"/> Rachel Reyes, holds a photograph of her son, Ruben Ray Martinez, a U.S. citizen who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent throughout a visitors encounter in Texas. Brenda Bazán for NPR conceal caption

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Brenda Bazán for NPR When Rachel Reyes thinks again to her son's remaining days, she remembers how excited he was for the 12 months forward.

Ruben Ray Martinez had simply turned 23. Reyes mentioned her son deliberate to enroll in commerce faculty to turn out to be a mechanic. He felt prepared to maneuver out of his household's residence in San Antonio and had discovered an condo he favored, she added.

However on March 15, 2025, Martinez, a U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent throughout a visitors encounter in Texas. He is thought of the primary of no less than six folks to have been killed by immigration brokers because the begin of President Trump's second time period, based on The Hint, an outlet centered on protecting gun violence.

"He would converse with enthusiasm, like he was wanting ahead to doing issues. He thought he'd have extra time," she mentioned. "All of us thought he would have extra time."

Martinez's loss of life got here practically a 12 months earlier than immigration brokers fatally shot Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti in separate incidents in Minneapolis. And through that point, Martinez's mom and the general public did not know that the officer who killed Martinez labored for ICE.

That solely got here to gentle following a public information request by American Oversight, a watchdog group, that sought paperwork associated to ICE's use of power. Among the many information was an ICE incident report that mentioned Martinez accelerated his automobile and struck a federal agent, prompting one other officer to fireplace defensive photographs.

However movies launched individually final month recommend a unique model of occasions: Footage from police physique cameras seem to point out federal brokers standing in entrance of Martinez's automobile because it slowly strikes. It is unclear from the movies reviewed by NPR whether or not the automobile hit an agent.

Reyes advised NPR that she felt betrayed by regulation enforcement, whom she says she all the time had a deep respect for. She added that shedding her son was already devastating and the latest revelations about ICE's involvement have made grieving extra painful.

"It is like a continuing state of unrest," she mentioned. "There was no peace and I nonetheless do not have peace."

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x3003+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F50%2Fc4%2Fb10b5f454e66a7afba14cb3cec93%2Frachel-reyes-ruben-ray-martinez-008.JPG" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x3003+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F50%2Fc4%2Fb10b5f454e66a7afba14cb3cec93%2Frachel-reyes-ruben-ray-martinez-008.JPG" class="img" alt="Reyes holds a photo of Martinez. From the way that he cared for his siblings and nephew, she believed that Martinez would have made a great father someday." loading="lazy"/> Reyes holds a photograph of Martinez. From the best way that he cared for his siblings and nephew, she believed that Martinez would have made an ideal father sometime. Brenda Bazán for NPR conceal caption

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Brenda Bazán for NPR 'I heard Ruben say, 'I am sorry,' after which he slumped backward' Martinez was solely presupposed to be away from residence for one night time.

He advised his mother that he deliberate to satisfy up with a good friend and promised to be residence the following day, based on Reyes.

" He was all comfortable together with his backpack on the brink of go," she mentioned. "After which, the following time I see him introduced residence, he is in his urn."

Martinez and his good friend Joshua Orta drove right down to South Padre Island, a preferred spring break vacation spot in south Texas. Simply after midnight, the 2 approached a busy intersection the place a automobile wreck had occurred earlier that night. Officers from a number of businesses had been on the scene to assist handle visitors, together with South Padre Island Police, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division and Homeland Safety Investigations, which operates underneath ICE.

The following moments had been caught on movies from officers' physique cameras that had been launched by the Texas Division of Public Security (DPS) final month.

Footage from one physique digicam exhibits an officer signaling to Martinez to drag over. That officer, Texas Recreation Warden Juan Rosendo, later mentioned in a police report launched by DPS that he noticed an open bottle of alcohol within the automobile.

In a second physique digicam, an officer can later be heard saying "preserve going." Martinez begins to drive straight. As he will get nearer to the crash web site, an officer may be heard yelling, "Cease" and "Maintain him."

Moments later, Martinez's automobile seems to have come to a full cease, based on footage from a 3rd physique digicam. Two officers then strategy the entrance of the automobile — one in all whom makes an attempt to open the automobile door, the video exhibits. As this occurs, Martinez's automobile seems to slowly transfer ahead and to the left. Then, three photographs ring out in fast succession. All the sequence of occasions lasts lower than 30 seconds.

The second physique digicam exhibits the shooter pulling Martinez's physique out of the automobile and onto the bottom. Martinez is handcuffed and over a minute later, receives medical consideration.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3003x4000+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F21%2Fbe%2F5cfe9d0147bbab0c5c9ba816f0e0%2Frachel-reyes-ruben-ray-martinez-028.JPG" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3003x4000+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F21%2Fbe%2F5cfe9d0147bbab0c5c9ba816f0e0%2Frachel-reyes-ruben-ray-martinez-028.JPG" class="img" alt="Rachel Reyes holds a jacket that was retrieved from her son’s car after his death." loading="lazy"/> Rachel Reyes holds a jacket that was retrieved from her son's automobile after his loss of life. Brenda Bazán for NPR conceal caption

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Brenda Bazán for NPR In line with police studies, the agent who opened fireplace was Homeland Safety Investigations Supervisory Particular Agent Jack Stevens. In a written assertion to investigators, Stevens mentioned he did in order an act of self-defense, claiming that he noticed his fellow agent, Hector Sosa, "fall onto the hood of the automobile."

How Sosa got here into contact with Martinez's automobile is unclear from the movies reviewed by NPR. Sosa, in his written assertion to investigators, mentioned he was handled for an unspecified knee damage.

Later that night time, Orta, who witnessed the capturing from the passenger seat, was taken into questioning. In a video launched by DPS, Orta mentioned Martinez was confused as a result of a number of officers had been yelling directions. Martinez was additionally fearful about getting in hassle for driving whereas intoxicated, based on Orta.

"He was actually similar to … panicky," he advised investigators. "He did not know what to do, like he positively did not need to go to jail. However so far as working over an officer and endangering, he [wouldn't] do this."

Orta went on to say that the automobile was "barely transferring" when he noticed an "officer form of like get on the hood." He added that Martinez "did not essentially hit him, however like, it form of like, you already know what I imply, caught his toes."

Orta died in February in an unrelated automobile crash. In a written assertion offered to Reyes' lawyer earlier than his loss of life after which shared with NPR, Orta wrote "Ruben didn't hit anybody," including that an agent approached the entrance of the automobile and slapped the hood.

He wrote, "With out giving any warning, instructions, or alternative to conform, the agent fired a number of photographs at Ruben from a particularly shut distance — not more than two toes. I heard Ruben say, 'I am sorry,' after which he slumped backward."

'An unwillingness to confess errors" The day after the capturing, a Texas Ranger got here to Reyes' residence to inform her that Martinez had been fatally shot by an officer. He didn't point out that the officer labored for ICE, she mentioned.

Reyes recalled being in shock and confused on the information as a result of her son was not an aggressive particular person, she mentioned. Removed from it, Martinez was shy and laidback, she added.

"It by no means made sense to me," she mentioned. "Ruben would not use his automobile to harm anybody, ever."

In late February, a grand jury in Texas declined to carry costs towards Stevens. In a press release to NPR, ICE's appearing director Todd Lyons mentioned, "We stand by the grand jury's unanimous determination that discovered no criminality. This incident was investigated from each potential angle by an unbiased physique, and it cleared our officer."

Since then, Democratic U.S. Reps. Robert Garcia of California and Greg Casar of Texas have known as for an unbiased investigation into the capturing and why ICE didn't disclose its involvement sooner.

Reyes' legal professional, Charles Stam, advised NPR that his staff can also be exploring authorized choices, including that he believes federal brokers escalated the scenario by standing in entrance of Martinez's automobile. " I feel what we have seen is an unwillingness to confess errors," he mentioned.

In line with the Division of Homeland Safety, immigration brokers have the best to make use of lethal power when there's "cheap perception that the topic of such power poses an imminent risk." However its coverage advises brokers to "keep away from deliberately and unreasonably inserting themselves in positions during which they don't have any different to utilizing lethal power."

"Generally there must be the lethal use of power. That is one thing that needs to be undertaken with solemnity," Stam mentioned. "And if it is executed, there needs to be an investigation and folks needs to be held accountable for his or her actions. We have seen none of that right here."

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x3003+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcc%2F6b%2F13b5245544a59d48b29e027fd854%2Frachel-reyes-ruben-ray-martinez-032.JPG" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x3003+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcc%2F6b%2F13b5245544a59d48b29e027fd854%2Frachel-reyes-ruben-ray-martinez-032.JPG" class="img" alt="A photo of Martinez lies on a jacket that was retrieved from his car after his death." loading="lazy"/> A photograph of Martinez lies on a jacket that was retrieved from his automobile after his loss of life. Brenda Bazán for NPR conceal caption

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Brenda Bazán for NPR Shy, goofy and cherished feeding stray cats Martinez was quiet when he first met somebody — however actually, he was goofy and considerate, Reyes mentioned. Her son cherished feeding stray cats and had a knack for fixing issues, particularly vehicles.

From the best way that he cared for his siblings and nephew, Reyes believed that Martinez would have made an ideal father sometime. " He would all the time be sure that to inform them that he cherished them each time they left, and he was all the time enjoying round with them and joking round," she mentioned. "He was actually good to them."

For Reyes, it has been unusual to undergo the day with out listening to his laughter from throughout the corridor or smelling French toast and eggs, which Martinez was studying to good.

" I might all the time inform when he bought began as a result of I might scent the burnt eggs," she mentioned. "He would FaceTime me within the kitchen like, 'How do you make your eggs so fluffy?'"

It was particularly powerful final month — which marked Martinez's twenty fourth birthday and the anniversary of his loss of life. Reyes used to take her son to a pleasant restaurant to have fun his birthday. Though she deliberate to remain residence this 12 months, her household inspired her to maintain the custom going.

Reyes mentioned it was good to be at dinner with family members, however it wasn't the identical. "It is simply an apparent distinction with out him right here," Reyes mentioned.