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A 24-year-old Pharr man who failed to show up to a court hearing nearly a year ago in a fatal drunk driving case has been arrested.
Authorities took Damian Rodrigo Martinez into custody on Friday.
He failed to show up to a court hearing on Jan. 18, 2023. He is facing an indictment charging him with intoxicated manslaughter and accident involving death for allegedly killing 51-year-old Juan Carlos Silva on April 24, 2021.
After his initial arrest, Martinez told Pharr police the fatal crash was his fault and that he wanted to take responsibility.
He had bailed out of the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on March 30, 2022 on $130,000 in bonds before failing to show up to that court hearing.
A probable cause affidavit said Martinez was driving a black Dodge Charger that day when he hit a Nissan Rogue driven by Silva at around 3:07 a.m. in the area of Cage Boulevard and Javelina Drive.
Silva was pronounced dead at the scene.
Responding police reported that Martinez then entered a white Honda Civic and left the scene of the crash.
An officer directing traffic after the crash spotted the vehicle and pulled Martinez over. That officer saw blood on his pants as well as glass debris.
Police also reported in the affidavit that Martinez smelled like alcohol and displayed signs of intoxication.
“The defendant then stated on his own that it was on him and that he was going to take responsibility,” the affidavit stated.
He refused to take a field sobriety test.
Martinez is currently being held in the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center without a bond. He has a court hearing scheduled for next week.
