HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A Harris County family is desperate for answers after their loved one was found dead on the side of the road on New Year’s Eve.
Paul Martinez, 37, was found dead on Sweetwater Lane near Saddle Rock Drive in the Aldine area.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is investigating it as a pedestrian hit-and-run. However, the victim’s family isn’t convinced that’s exactly what happened and is awaiting results from the autopsy. Either way, they have been searching for clues that could lead to an arrest.
According to the family, they learned that shortly before Martinez died, he had visited the memorial of a friend nearby. His family thinks he was walking back to his father’s home to celebrate the clock striking midnight when he was killed.
Authorities said there are no known witnesses to what happened to him. Investigators are asking for tips including surveillance video.
Mother
“He was good at heart,” Luz Martinez, Paul Martinez's mother, said. “And he would’ve done anything for his family and friends.”
Stepmother
“He wasn’t a dog that they just hit and left,” Paul Martinez's stepmother, Elizabeth Martinez, said. “He meant a lot to us, and we want to know.”
Sister
“We will not rest, and we cannot rest until Paul Jesus Martinez has his justice,” Paul Martinez's sister, Jessica Martinez, said.