A 24-year-old man accused of killing a Nashville restaurant owner in a hit-and-run crash has been identified as Ulises Martinez – a Mexican national who is in the U.S. illegally.
On June 19, Smokin Thighs founder and operator Matthew Carney was involved in a hit-and-run in the restaurant parking lot, where he was severely injured.
Carney sustained serious chest and head trauma from the incident and was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery to reduce the swelling in his brain.
The restaurant owner passed away on July 4 due to complications from the injuries he sustained from the hit-and-run.
“Matt will be remembered for his joyful spirit, his loud laugh and his smile that lit up the room. His friends knew him as the life of the party, with his positive attitude, jokes and loyalty to those he loved. He loved big,” Carney’s obituary reads.
An investigation by the Metro Nashville Police Department’s (MNPD) Homicide Unit and Traffic Division publicly identified Martinez as a suspect in Carney’s murder on July 11, saying at the time, “Ulises Martinez, 24, is a suspected auto thief who is also wanted for questioning in the death of Smokin Thighs restaurant owner Matthew Carney. Martinez ran into a wooded area Wed in Brentwood and evaded arrest.”
One week later, MNPD Specialized Investigations Division TITANS detectives located and arrested Martinez at the Somatel Motel on Metroplex Dr near I-24 & Harding Pl.
Martinez told MNPD during an interview at police headquarters that he and an accomplice, identified as 31-year-old Adrian Diaz, were driving through the restaurant parking lot when they stopped to steal tools from Carney’s Nissan Frontier pickup truck.
The suspect said Carney came out, confronted them, and attempted to stop them from stealing his truck before the restaurant owner wound up on the hood of the Frontier and was slung off as it turned onto Wedgewood Avenue.
A GoFundMe fundraiser for the restaurant owner’s medical bills and other expenses surpassed $58,000 as of Thursday.
Martinez (pictured above) was charged with criminal homicide and evidence tampering in the death of Carney.
Diaz was arrested on charges of evading arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Further investigation by Fox 17 revealed Martinez has a criminal history in Davidson County.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed Martinez’s immigration status to Fox 17 in the following statement:
ERO New Orleans placed an immigration detainer on Ulises Raigoz-Martinez, 24, an unlawfully present Mexican citizen, following his arrest in Davidson County, Tennessee, for homicide, vehicle theft, and evading arrest on July 19. Raigoza entered the United States on an unknown date and location, without being admitted or paroled by an immigration officer.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti commented on the immigration status of the alleged killer, saying, “The federal government must secure our border and enforce our immigration laws. Until that happens, we will continue to support the Governor and the General Assembly as they work to protect Tennesseans. We will continue to press our lawsuit against Secretary Mayorkas. We will continue to work with other state AGs to stop illegal immigration.”
“This tragic death and others could have been averted if our federal immigration laws were properly enforced,” Skrmetti added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
