Less than a month after 53-year-old Hector Martinez Jr., of Brownsville, was accused of striking a 6-year-old boy with his vehicle on South Padre Island that left him dead, a Cameron County grand jury indicted Martinez on an intoxication manslaughter charge.
According to the Aug. 3, 2022, indictment, Martinez operated a motor vehicle in a public place while intoxicated and by reason of intoxication, by accident or mistake, caused the death of the boy by driving the vehicle into his body.
The accident happened July 10 half a mile north of the Beach Access No. 5 shoreline when the boy was run over by a truck, Cameron County Park Rangers said in a press release.
The Park Rangers were flagged down at around 5:22 p.m. in reference to the incident.
According to the release, the boy was airlifted to Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen where he was pronounced dead.
According to court documents, Martinez on Aug. 23, waived the reading of the indictment filed against him and entered a not guilty plea to the charge. His trial has been scheduled for Oct. 17 before 107th state District Judge Benjamin Euresti Jr.
He remains out on bail on a $75,000 bond.
