Two illegal immigrants have been arrested after police say they helped a man evade law enforcement after they attempted to take him in for questioning over the death of a beloved Nashville restaurant owner after a hit-and-run.
Metro Nashville Police said that 25-year-old Francisco Javier Martinez-Lopez and 31-year-old Adrian Diaz-Aguirre helped 24-year-old Ulises Martinez escape last week when police attempted to question Martinez over a hit-and-run last month that led to the death of 42-year-old Matt Carney.
On Wednesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told The Daily Wire that Martinez-Lopez and Diaz-Aguirre are illegal immigrants from Mexico. ICE confirmed that it had placed immigration detainers on both men who police say helped Martinez flee from police last week. Both men were in the car last week with Martinez when they took off from police when they attempted to question him about the death of Carney.
Martinez is still on the run and wanted for questioning over the death of Carney, who owned Nashville chicken restaurant Smokin Thighs. The restaurant, which began as a food truck back in 2012, is known for its smoked chicken, 2-for-1 drinks, and stocking the city’s largest selection of moonshine.
According to ICE, Martinez-Lopez “previously entered the United States on an unknown date and location, without being admitted or paroled by an immigration officer.” Police said he was the get-away driver when Martinez fled from police last Wednesday.
Martinez-Lopez was originally charged with evading arrest on July 10 (a felony charge) and was convicted on Tuesday of leaving the scene of property damage (a misdemeanor). He was sentenced to 30 days in Davidson County prison. The Daily Wire asked ICE if it will deport Martinez-Lopez after his time is served.
Diaz-Aguirre, who was charged in Williamson County with evading arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia, has previously been deported four times, according to ICE.
ICE told The Daily Wire that he “has been removed four separate times in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2020.”
The agency does not know when he again crossed back into the United States from Mexico.
They also disclosed that he had a lengthy criminal history, including convictions in 2014 for aggravated burglary in Tennessee, possession of controlled substances in Indiana in 2019, and illegal re-entry in 2020 in Indiana.
The hunt is still on for Martinez as police continue to investigate the death of Carney. Martinez has also been accused of stealing a truck from a local church. The warrant detailing that case is sealed as Martinez is still on the lamb.
On June 19, Carney was struck in the parking lot outside his restaurant by a truck going at a high rate of speed. Carney was thrown out onto the road where he sustained serious injuries. His car was found running and with his door open and police say they don’t know what led up to him being struck because he lost consciousness.
Carney was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he tragically died on July 4 from his injuries.
The parking lot where Carney was struck. Credit: Daily Wire.
Police later determined that Carney was struck by a Nissan Frontier, which they recovered at a Nashville motel spray painted black and with temporary plates.
Last week, police attempted to question Martinez, whom they “strongly believed to have information about this case.” However, when they attempted to question him after they spotted him at a local motel, he fled from police with Martinez-Lopez and Diaz.
Eventually, they went down a dead-end road, got out, and fled on foot from police. Police were able to capture both Diaz and Martinez-Lopez, but Martinez escaped into a wooded area. Police are still looking for him.
Friends of Carney set up a GoFundMe for Carney after the accident to help pay for his medical bills, fund a reward for information on the hit-and-run, and help out his wife Molly. The fund, which had a goal of reaching $10,000, has already hit $57,000.
His funeral took place last week at Brentwood Baptist Church and the service was done by his pastor, Aaron Bryant.
“He was full of life, and it was a life well lived,” Bryant told local news last week of Carney.
Bryant also praised Carney’s work in the community with his restaurant.
“It’s not just a restaurant. It was like an outpost in the community. It still is an outpost in the community of relationship and life, and that’s what Matt brought to the Wedgewood-Houston community, and so we want that to continue,” he said.
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