Family grieves the deaths of their two sons: one killed by cancer, another shot to death
When 25-year-old Noah Jonathan Martinez left for work last Tuesday, his family didn't know that would be the last time they saw him alive.
"He was a great young man and if you needed a friend he was your friend," said his father Jonathan Martinez. "If you were down, he would try to bring you up with a smile or a laugh."
Martinez said his son was closest with his big brother Andrew, who recently died from cancer. Andrew helped Noah, who had autism, get his job as an overnight janitor, something his dad said gave him independence.
"He was religiously like 'Dad, I've got to go to work," said his father. "I don't know what time I get out but I have to go to work."
Last Tuesday, Jonathan said he woke up to a crime alert of a shooting near his son's job. He said his anxiety kicked into high gear as he hoped it wasn't his baby boy.
"We went down to the crime scene and it was Noah," said Jonathan.
Investigators said someone shot and killed Noah around 4:30 a.m. that morning in the 3400 block of Emory Street in Boyle Heights. Jonathan said his son's boss offered to order him an Uber home, but Noah turned it down.
"We are trying to figure out what was he doing over there because it is all encampments by RVs and a lot of graffiti as well in that area," said Jonathan.
There is a Department of Water and Power building near the crime scene, and the family hopes security cameras captured the suspect.
The family is setting up a GoFundMe to help with expenses at this time.
