MARTINEZ
By RAY QUIROGA
publisher@sbnewspaper.com
BROWNSVILLE, TX—Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz announced this week that his office is seeking the death penalty against Rogelio Martinez, 18, of Brownsville for the October shooting death of San Benito Police Lieutenant Milton Resendez. Martinez is accused of being the shooter involved in Resendez’s death.
Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty against the second suspect, Rodrigo Axel Espinosa Valdez, 23, a Mexican national. Martinez is being represented by Brownsville attorney Ed Cyganiewicz, who told the media that it’s “rare” for prosecutors to seek the death penalty against someone so young.
Previously, in December of 2023, a grand jury indicted Martinez and Espinosa Valdez on charges of capital murder of a peace officer along with six counts of attempted capital murder of a peace officer based on an investigation by the Texas Ranger in which they said that Martinez confessed to firing at authorities from the passenger seat, ultimately shooting the San Benito officer.
“Rogelio Martinez escorted investigators to a location in Cameron County where he hid a rifle that he used to shoot at officers,” an affidavit states, adding Valdez Espinosa confessed to running from authorities as Martinez was firing at pursuing officers.
In early January of this year, the two men pled not guilty in a Cameron County courtroom.
The shooting occurred on Oct. 17, 2023 when the men allegedly shot at Resendez’s patrol unit and struck the lieutenant during a pursuit which eventually lead through Sam Houston Blvd. in San Benito.
The chase originated at South Padre Island earlier in the late afternoon hours of Oct. 17 when a traffic stop was conducted on a GMC truck that was reportedly speeding on the beach.
The driver — identified as Espinosa Valdez in the indictment — fled from the scene, and gunfire was allegedly exchanged between the suspects in the truck and responding officers when it reached the Brownsville area.
Hours later, the suspects eventually were traveling southbound on Sam Houston Boulevard in San Benito when Resendez joined the pursuit.
Both men were indicted on charges of Capital Murder of a Peace Officer, two charges of Evading Arrest, and six counts of Attempt to Commit Capital Murder of a Peace Officer for allegedly firing at other officers, according to the indictment.
Martinez faces an additional charge of possessing an unregistered machine gun, and Espinosa Valdez faces two additional charges of evading arrest. Espinosa Valdez and Martinez were promptly jailed on bonds of $2 million each.
On the evening of Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, area law enforcement, friends and family of the fallen officer, and the public, in general, gathered at San Benito’s Heavin Park Pavilion to pay homage to Resendez during a vigil. The remembrance concluded with a mile walk around the Resaca trail led by Resendez’s widow, Melissa.
Among those on hand was District Attorney Saenz, who said that he’s taking Resendez’s killing, “very personally,” having known the family for years. Melissa Resendez is a Cameron County Probation Officer.
After the event, Saenz told the NEWS that he was sure the case would go to trial, adding that while a conviction against the two suspects accused of the shooting may appear as a sure thing from the outside, it has been his experience that anything can happen in court. Therefore, he was not rushing the investigation nor setting any type of deadline as to when the investigation should conclude.
“There are good cases, and there are weak cases, but there’s no such things as an opened and shut case,” Saenz said at that time. “I’ve lost cases we’re supposed to win, and we’ve won cases we’re supposed to lose; you just never know, but we’ve got to be careful in this case. It’s a police officer who lost his life, and we’ll take our time doing what we have to do. We will move on it accordingly and timely, but we have to be very cautious about the entire process.”
Resendez, 54, was a 26-year veteran of the SBPD. Resendez was a product of San Benito public schools, graduating as a member of the San Benito High School Class of 1987 and attending Rangerville Elementary, as well as Miller Jordan and Berta Cabaza middle schools.
He later attended Texas Southmost College and the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council Police Academy. Before joining the SBPD, Resendez was employed by the Brownsville Police Department, Palm Valley Police Department, and the San Benito CISD Police Department. All told, he served over 30 years in law enforcement.
According to his obituary, he was an avid comic book and toy collector, movie buff, and enjoyed gardening. He also enjoyed watching his favorite NFL teams, the Pittsburg Steelers and the Houston Texans, as well as watching WWE professional wrestling. He also enjoyed music; his favorite band was KISS.
Resendez was born September 2, 1969 to Milton and Susana M. Resendez, who preceded him in death. He’s survived by his wife, Melissa, whom he met while attending Texas Southmost College, his siblings and numerous nieces and nephews. He and Melissa were married for 27 years upon his death.
According to SBPD Chief of Police Mario Perea during a press conference held at SBPD headquarters on October 18, 2023, Resendez was transported to Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen by fellow officers in a police cruiser separate from his own shortly after being shot in the abdominal area that fateful Tuesday night. He later succumbed to a single bullet wound while receiving treatment at VBMC.
As stated above, the events of that evening began unfolding at around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, as Cameron County Park Rangers pulled over a red GMC pickup truck for allegedly speeding on the South Padre Island beach. The truck was occupied by two men, two women and two children.
As a park ranger questioned the driver upon exiting the pickup, a scuffle between the park ranger and the suspect being questioned allegedly ensued, at which time, the passenger allegedly jumped into the driver’s seat, speeding off as the original driver jumped into the truck’s bed, according to Saenz, also during the press conference.
The pursuit continued through Port Isabel before entering Brownsville, where gunfire was allegedly exchanged between the occupants of the truck and law enforcement. According to Saenz, the women and children were allowed to exit the truck shortly after the pursuit commenced. Saenz said the women were taken into custody for questioning.
By 5 p.m., the truck was found disabled, and authorities began searching for the two suspects near the Brownsville FM 511 area.
At 10:30 p.m., the suspects were spotted in a black Ford Expedition, initiating another pursuit. At 10:58 p.m., San Benito police were informed of the chase now involving Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Troopers. When they entered city limits through the San Jose Ranch Rd., San Benito officers engaged in the pursuit, Perea said during the October 18 press conference.
As the chase reached North Sam Houston Blvd., Resendez was fatally wounded.
According to Perea, two bullets, allegedly fired by Martinez in the Ford Expedition while traveling Southbound on Sam Houston Blvd., in an attempt to evade law enforcement, struck Resendez’s patrol unit, one hitting the front bumper, the other entering the driver’s side door and penetrating the lieutenant’s abdomen in an exposed area under his ballistic vest.
Espinosa Valdez, and Martinez Jr., were apprehended by DPS in Brownsville after the vehicle they were traveling in was rendered inoperable by law enforcement. The alleged perpetrators then fled on foot before they were captured.
Resendez is believed to be the first officer killed in the line of duty in the SBPD’s history.
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