His death comes nearly a year after he was in the passenger seat of a car driven by Ruben Ray Martinez on March 15, 2025, in South Padre Island.
SAN ANTONIO — Friends and family gathered Thursday night to remember Joshua Orta, a key eyewitness in last year’s fatal shooting of a San Antonio man by a federal immigration agent, just one day after a grand jury declined to indict the agent involved.
Orta died over the weekend in a car crash while exiting 1-35 onto Powell Street. Police say he lost control of his vehicle and struck a utility pole.
His death comes nearly a year after he was in the passenger seat of a car driven by Ruben Ray Martinez on March 15, 2025, in South Padre Island. That’s when Martinez was shot and killed by an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE agents were assisting local law enforcement with traffic control following a crash when authorities say Martinez ignored commands and struck an agent with his vehicle. Another agent then fired what officials described as defensive shots, killing Martinez.
In a written statement provided to attorneys before his death, Orta disputed that account, stating Martinez did not hit anyone with his vehicle.
On Wednesday, a grand jury did not find probable cause to indict the agent in the shooting. It is unclear whether jurors were presented with Orta’s statement.
Starleen Arriaga, Orta’s sister, said the events of March 15 changed her brother.
“He was so giving, so humble, so kind,” Arriaga said. “That changed my brother forever. He saw stuff he was not supposed to see at all.”
She described Martinez as her brother’s best friend.
“That was his brother,” Arriaga said. “He came back, and that was not my brother anymore.”
The family of Martinez is calling on the Texas Rangers, who are leading the investigation, to release their full findings. Attorneys for Martinez’s family said they are devastated by the grand jury’s decision and are seeking transparency in the case.
Arriaga said her brother wanted justice for Martinez.
“He wanted justice for his brother. He wanted that so bad,” she said. “I’m heartbroken that he couldn’t be here to see it — the outcome or speak on his behalf, knowing he was the only witness.”
Prosecutors can still pursue criminal charges even after a grand jury declines to indict, though it is rare.
Attorneys representing Martinez’s family say after the grand jury’s decision, “Our work continues unabated. Today’s event changes nothing.”