
Authorities have charged Ulises Raigoza Martinez, believed to be an illegal immigrant, with the murder of Matt Carney, a well-known restaurant owner in Nashville. Carney, who owned Smokin Thighs, was killed in a hit-and-run incident last month.
Martinez, 29, was arrested on Thursday and charged with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence, vehicle theft, criminal impersonation, and evading arrest. He is currently held in Davidson County jail, with a court appearance scheduled for Monday.
Carney died on July 4 after spending over two weeks in the hospital. He was injured while trying to stop Martinez and 31-year-old Adrian Diaz from stealing tools from his vehicle. The two men hit Carney with a Nissan Frontier truck and fled the scene, leaving him seriously injured.
A GoFundMe campaign was set up to offer a reward for information leading to the capture of the men responsible and to support Carney’s wife, Molly. The campaign has raised over $57,000.
Matt Carney was remembered as a pillar of his community at his funeral service last week. He grew up in Adair, Iowa, and moved to Tennessee after graduating from Full Sail University in Orlando. He founded Smokin Thighs, which began as a food truck in 2012.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed a detainer on Martinez and is set to interview him to confirm his immigration status. Diaz, identified as a Mexican national in the U.S. illegally, has been deported four times and has a criminal history that includes aggravated burglary, possession of controlled substances, and illegal re-entry. Diaz is currently held in Williamson County Jail on charges of evading arrest and drug possession.
The case has highlighted the ongoing issue of illegal immigration and crime. Martinez had previously escaped arrest twice but was finally captured on Thursday morning in Nashville.
“Matt will be remembered for his joyful spirit, his loud laugh, and his smile that lit up the room,” his obituary reads. “His friends knew him as the life of the party, with his positive attitude, jokes, and loyalty to those he loved.”