By RAY QUIROGA
publisher@sbnewspaper.com
Family, friends, area dignitaries, and officials gathered Tuesday morning at the corner of State Hwy. 345 and San Jose Ranch Road, between Rio Hondo and San Benito, to unveil a road sign dedicating a section of the roadway to fallen San Benito Police Department Lieutenant Milton G. Resendez, who was killed in the line of duty on the same highway on October 17, 2023.
State Representative Janie Lopez, who was on hand and spoke at the unveiling ceremony, filed House Bill 1960, which designated a portion of State Highway 345 as the Milton G. Resendez Memorial Highway.
At the time, Lopez, who is from San Benito, said, “Lieutenant Milton Resendez is a local hero who gave his life protecting his community. He acted selflessly, putting the safety of San Benito’s citizens above his own without hesitation. Lieutenant Resendez embodied the integrity, bravery, and heart of a dedicated public servant. For these reasons and more, I knew this tribute was not only appropriate but also necessary.”
“As we travel along this road, it will serve as a lasting reminder of the ultimate sacrifice he made for his community. His courage and selflessness will forever be etched in the heart of San Benito,” Lopez said.
For Lopez, bringing this tribute forward was deeply personal. “As a San Benito resident, I was honored to bring House Bill 1960 before the Texas House of Representatives. Through this legislation, the entire state of Texas now knows the name of Milton Resendez and the courageous sacrifice he made in service to others. His legacy will not be forgotten—it will live on in the hearts of those he protected.”
A trial date has been set for one of two men accused of fatally shooting the police lieutenant.
According to court records, Rogelio Martinez Jr.’s trial is set for August 10, 2026. He faces Capital Murder of a Peace Officer, a capital felony. Pretrial motion hearings are scheduled for June 24.
As previously reported, Rodrigo Axel Espinosa Valdez, the second individual involved in the shooting death of Lt. Resendez, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of murder. According to court records, his sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 24, 2026.
Earlier, Martinez and Espinosa Valdez entered not-guilty pleas in a Cameron County courtroom. Martinez, 18 at the time of the incident, hailed from the Brownsville Southmost area, and Espinosa Valdez, a 23-year-old Mexican national, were charged with Capital Murder of a Peace Officer in connection with Resendez’s death.
The men allegedly shot at Resendez’s patrol unit and struck the lieutenant during a pursuit that ultimately led through Sam Houston Blvd. in San Benito.
The two men were formally indicted by a grand jury on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, at the Cameron County Courthouse.
The chase began at South Padre Island earlier in the late afternoon hours on Oct. 17, when a traffic stop was conducted on a GMC truck allegedly speeding on the beach.
The driver — identified as Espinosa Valdez in the indictment — fled the scene, and gunfire was allegedly exchanged between the suspects in the truck and responding officers as the truck reached the Brownsville area.
Hours later, the suspects were traveling southbound on Sam Houston Boulevard in San Benito when Resendez joined the pursuit.
According to the indictment, both men were charged with Capital Murder of a Peace Officer, two counts of Evading Arrest, and six counts of Attempt to Commit Capital Murder of a Peace Officer for allegedly firing at other officers.
Capital Murder of a Peace Officer or Fireman is punishable by death in Texas.
Martinez faced an additional charge of possessing an unregistered machine gun, and Espinosa Valdez faced two additional charges of evading arrest. Both received a $2 million bond.
At Tuesday’s unveiling, several dignitaries who spoke shared personal stories about Resendez, including outgoing San Benito Mayor Ricardo “Rick” Guerra, a retired first responder, who described Resendez’s lighthearted nature and added that when he was notified that an officer’s vehicle had been shot that fateful night, he was only mildly concerned, believing that the police units were fortified to withstand gunfire. Guerra was later moved to tears during the ceremony.
State District Judge Juan A. Magallanes of the 357th Court described how, when he was first elected to his post, Resendez served on one of his court’s early juries and half-jokingly criticized the Judge for spending the entire day in his court and not being offered so much as a “thank you,” let alone a taco or anything to eat.
While the criticism was delivered in jest, Magallanes took the words to heart, noting that Resendez wasn’t wrong in his critique. From that point forward, the Judge has made a point to ensure jurors know their service is appreciated.
Even San Benito Public Relations Director Cristina Garcia, who served as the event’s Master of Ceremonies, shared a story about being pulled over by Resendez on a rainy morning while attending San Benito High School. Believing the police wouldn’t bother pulling her over because it was raining, she took liberties with road safety and immediately regretted her decision as Resendez’s patrol unit’s sirens and lights began to flash behind her.
Resendez proved that her initial assertion was incorrect, demonstrating not only commitment to his duty as an officer but also his humanity, as he took pity on the inexperienced driver and let her off with a warning.
Resendez, 54 at the time of his death, was a 26-year veteran of the SBPD. Resendez was a product of San Benito public schools, graduating from San Benito High School in 1987 and attending Rangerville Elementary, 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 served with the Brownsville Police Department, the Palm Valley Police Department, and the San Benito CISD Police Department. In total, he served more than 30 years in law enforcement.
According to his obituary, he was an avid comic book and toy collector, a movie buff, and a gardener. He also enjoyed watching his favorite NFL teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans, as well as WWE 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, as well as by his siblings and numerous nieces and nephews. He and Melissa were married for 27 years at the time of his death.
According to SBPD Chief of Police Mario Perea, at a press conference at SBPD headquarters on October 18, 2023, Resendez was transported to Valley Baptist Medical Center (VBMC) in Harlingen by fellow officers in a police cruiser separate from his own shortly after being shot in the abdomen that Tuesday night. He later succumbed to a single bullet wound while receiving treatment at VBMC.
Events that evening began unfolding around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, when 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 the driver’s exit from the pickup, a scuffle allegedly ensued between the ranger and the suspect. At that point, the passenger allegedly jumped into the driver’s seat and sped off, while the original driver jumped into the truck’s bed, according to Saenz, who also spoke at the press conference.
The pursuit continued through Port Isabel and into Brownsville, where gunfire was allegedly exchanged between the truck’s occupants and law enforcement. According to Saenz, the women and children were allowed to exit the truck shortly after the pursuit began. 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 Brownsville on FM 511.
At 10:30 p.m., the suspects were spotted in a black Ford Expedition, prompting another pursuit. At 10:58 p.m., San Benito police were informed that the chase now involved Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Troopers. As they entered the city limits via San Jose Ranch Rd., San Benito officers joined 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 the suspects in the Ford Expedition while traveling southbound on Sam Houston Blvd. to evade law enforcement, struck Resendez’s patrol unit, with one hitting the front bumper and the other entering the driver’s side door and penetrating the lieutenant’s abdomen in an exposed area beneath his ballistic vest.
Espinosa Valdez and Martinez 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 being captured.
According to the department, Resendez is the first and only SBPD officer killed in the line of duty.
Recent Comments