As Martin Noguez’s family continues to mourn his death, Dallas police have an 18-year-old suspect in custody for his murder in December.
As The Dallas Express previously reported, just after midnight on December 30, an argument at the Cool Zone food mart off Royal Lane escalated to gunshots. When officers arrived at the scene, they found two victims in the parking lot with gunshot wounds. Both were taken to the hospital in critical condition.
One of the victims, a still unidentified store clerk, survived. The other victim, later revealed by the police to be 41-year-old Noguez, did not.
The gunman had fled the scene but police have since arrested Kauren Mayo in relation to the shooting. Police released a photo from store surveillance allegedly placing Mayo at the scene.
Mayo allegedly attempted to rob the convenience store and Noguez, a vendor, was a bystander casualty. Further details have not yet been released by the police.
Nonetheless, knowing that there is a suspect in police custody for the deadly shooting offers Noguez’s family some relief, according to the victim’s sister-in-law Lorena Noguez.
“It gives us a little peace of mind. We want justice to be served for Martin, and we hope the person gets the longest sentence possible,” she said.
The family described Martin Noguez as “loving and full of joy” on a GoFundMe page which aims to cover the funeral costs and provide the family with support. Nearly half of the page’s goal has been raised so far.
“He was the breadwinner, his wife is a stay-at-home mother, so it’s going to be tough on them, and we are trying our best to help them out,” Lorena Noguez said.
Noguez’s family has also created a memorial for him at the Exxon station on the corner of Royal Lane and I-35E in Northwest Dallas, in which the Cool Zone is located.
The grief has been particularly difficult for the family to bear since they had already experienced the loss of a sister and a grandfather earlier in 2022.
“We are really trying in our heart to forgive this person, but it’s really hard right now. Especially since we haven’t laid our loved ones to rest yet,” Lorena Noguez said.
Martin Noguez’s funeral is planned for later this week.
The shooting incident in which Noguez lost his life occurred in Dallas City Council District 6, represented by Omar Narvaez, where 919 crimes were reported in November alone.