Two plead guilty to murder of Santa Rosa boy, third suspect set for trial

SANTA ROSA, Texas (ValleyCentral) — "A couple of kids with guns" are now men facing murder charges after a Santa Rosa teenager was killed in 2023. Two men have pleaded guilty to charges of murder in connection with the killing of Fernando Martinez, who was 16 when he was fatally shot.

Photo by Brian Svendsen, KVEO

Alberto Sanchez and Julian Casarez reached a plea agreement and are scheduled for punishment on August 26 in connection with Martinez's death. A third suspect arrested in connection with the case, Josue Torres, also faces a charge of murder and is scheduled to go before a jury for trial on December 8.

Torres and Casarez were 17 and 18 at the time the crime was committed.

The murder took place on Jan. 26, 2023, when officials say Martinez was shot multiple times. An investigation led by the Cameron County District Attorney's Office revealed that the individuals in this case were part of a "bigger criminal enterprise."

_{Alberto Sanchez/Cameron County District Attorney's Office}

Cameron County DA Luiz V. Saenz said the boys who are now men, "had committed violent acts and criminal episodes in La Feria in Harlingen and even in Weslaco," Saenz said.

The men were known to "rip off" drug dealers selling vaping oil cartridges, even going as far as to participate in a shootout at a Whataburger in La Feria before the fatal shooting.

_{From left Julian Casarez and Josue Torres (Cameron County Sheriff's Office)}

On the day of the murder at the Village Apartments, a neighbor reported hearing the gunfire but mistook the sound for fireworks. ValleyCentral was on the scene Jan. 26, 2023 and spoke with City Administrator Ronnie Hernandez, who gave limited details about the case, but described it as "a couple of kids with guns."