Roland Martinez, a 45-year-old white male, died on October 31, 2019, in Boca Raton, Florida, after being shot multiple times by a coworker. The incident occurred on the afternoon of September 30, 2019, outside the Southeast Collision Center on the 2500 block of Northwest First Avenue. Martinez had met Raed Hamdan, a 44-year-old tow truck driver, to discuss a payment dispute. The argument escalated, and Hamdan shot Martinez multiple times.
Martinez was critically injured and remained in hospice care until his death a month later.
Raed Hamdan claimed he acted in self-defense, stating that he feared for his life during the altercation. However, surveillance footage contradicted his account, showing that Martinez was at least two feet away from Hamdan's car when the shots were fired. After shooting Martinez, Hamdan did not attempt to help him but instead made a phone call and changed his shirt. Hamdan was arrested on an attempted-murder charge on the day of the shooting and held in the Palm Beach County Jail without the possibility of posting bail.
Following Martinez's death, the charges against Hamdan were upgraded to murder. A judge set bail at $250,000, and if released, Hamdan would be placed under house arrest with a monitor and required to surrender his passport and any weapons. Hamdan's defense attorney maintained that his client acted in self-defense, despite the evidence presented by the surveillance footage.
The case garnered attention in the local community, with a GoFundMe account set up to help cover Martinez's medical and funeral expenses. The tragic incident highlighted the dangers of escalating disputes and the impact of violence on families and communities. Martinez's death left a lasting mark on those who knew him, and the legal proceedings against Hamdan continued to unfold as the community sought justice for the loss of Roland Martinez.
