Jury selection underway for 2024 East El Paso fatal hit-and-run crash trial

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) -- A jury selection is underway for the trial of Rene Martinez, the man who was charged in a deadly hit-and-run crash back in 2024, resulting in the death of a 23-year-old man. As KTSM previously reported, Martinez was charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and assault on a pregnant woman after allegedly running over 23-year-old Juan Flores Jr. shortly after 2 a.m. on Sept. 30, 2024, along the 1400 block of North Zaragoza. He's currently being held at the El Paso County Detention Center on a total bond of $371,000. In the trial, Martinez is charged with murder and a collision involving death. According to arrest documents, police obtained surveillance footage from a nearby business, showing two groups of people fighting in the parking lot. Three people walked toward a black Ford Fusion when five other people appeared to throw a rock at the vehicle. It appeared that the two groups were going to fight before the vehicle drove away, but later, the Fusion turned around and sped toward the group, according to arrest documents. Police say the driver of the Fusion, later identified as Martinez, hit Flores, and Flores flew onto the hood and attempted to hold on to the vehicle before he flew off and hit his head on the pavement. Flores was transported to a local hospital for treatment of severe head trauma. According to Flores' family, he later died that day. At around 8 a.m., a pregnant woman went to Fire Station 6, near Montwood High School, to report that she had been assaulted by her boyfriend, who was identified as Martinez. According to the woman, she was 37 weeks pregnant at the time and became "suspicious" of Martinez after he arrived home late and "appeared intoxicated." When she confronted him, Martinez told her that he had taken a Xanax "bar" and claimed he never left the house. Arrest documents say the woman attempted to take Martinez's phone, and that's when he allegedly kicked her in the stomach and punched her. The woman said she went through his text messages and found messages that indicated he had been involved in a crash. She allegedly saw a text saying not to take the Fusion out and to keep it parked in the garage because police were looking for it after information was posted on FitFam that a vehicle matching that description was involved in a deadly crash. In an affidavit, Martinez later admitted to police that he drove the vehicle that struck Flores, and he got out of the car to check on him, but left because he was scared.