A man was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison for the murder of a 23-year-old man in 2024, whom he ran over with a car during a confrontation in East El Paso.
Rene Martinez, 32 at the time of his arrest, was sentenced to 70 years for murder and 20 years for the collision resulting in death after being convicted of running over Juan Flores Jr., 23, in a parking lot at 1441 N. Zaragoza Rd. around 2:15 a.m. on Sept. 30, 2024.
According to police reports, Martinez was with two friends, while Flores Jr. was with four.
The two groups almost got into a brawl, but Martinez and his companions allegedly walked away.
According to court documents, someone in Flores Jr.’s gang hurled a rock at Martinez’s car.
Martinez then returned to where Flores Jr. and his buddies were standing, and the two groups almost battled again before Martinez drove away.
Flores Jr. and his pals began walking away, and according to police documents, Martinez turned his car around, accelerated, and collided with Flores Jr.
According to police documentation, Flores Jr. “landed on the hood” of the car, while witnesses described him as “[holding] on to the hood of the vehicle.”
Martinez apparently swerved, causing Flores Jr. to lose his grasp on the hood, fall to the ground, and smash the back of his head on the pavement.
Flores Jr. was then brought to Del Sol Medical Center, where a doctor diagnosed him with brain trauma and spinal cord injury, describing the injuries as “non-recoverable.”
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