DALLAS — Thirty-five-year-old Aaron Martinez worked as an electrician, but one of his biggest joys was horses. It was a hobby and goal of Martinez to build out a ranch. He moved to Forney, just east of Dallas, two years ago. 

Salvador Martinez, Aaron’s father, speaks proudly about his son’s achievements.

“Through his projects he was able to buy land and began constructing the ranch,” Salvador said in Spanish. “It was a goal of his.” 

However, the joy was short-lived. According to Salvador, he witnessed Aaron’s neighbor, Trevor McEuen, and his brother yell derogatory comments to his family and employees.

Dating back to June 2022, Aaron Martinez and his neighbor called law enforcement for harassment, shots fired and disturbances. Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office provided Spectrum News with a copy of calls made regarding Rancho M Oficial, Aaron Martinez’s home.

“We made a lot of reports [to police],” said Salvador. “On some they did come out, but I believe there’s only seven or eight reports of when they responded.”

On May 1, Aaron was killed. McEuen is charged. The 30-year-old is currently in Kaufman County Detention Center on a $2 million bond.

Spectrum News requested a copy of the arrest affidavit for McEuen, but due to it being an ongoing investigation, the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office would not release any reports. Officials said there are no prior arrests or confinements found for McEuen with the county sheriff's office.

Although Salvador is glad his son’s killer was arrested, he believes it could have been avoided. Aaron’s family wants hate crime charges to be added.

“These crimes can be avoided,” Salvador said. “This should be a precedent so that our community doesn’t continue to be harmed or target of crime.”

Hearing of Aaron’s death and family’s plea for hate crime charges, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, is also asking officials to add hate crime charges. Castro explains a hate crime enhancement charge can lengthen the time someone might spend in prison.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in 2021, there were a total of 542 hate crimes reported in the state of Texas.

Castro adds that while there is federal legislation when it comes to hate crimes, not every state’s law is the same. 

“There’s legislation, laws that exist around people making terroristic threats, for example, against somebody in some states, but unfortunately not in Texas,” Castro explained.

The Kaufman County sheriff told Spectrum that there is no hate crime statute in Texas, but the enhancement charge could be by the district attorney’s office. The district attorney would have to prove in court that the murder was racially motivated.

Castro tells Spectrum News if the state is not willing to add hate crime charges, the federal government can step in.

“If this man is not charged with a hate crime after he harassed Aaron and his family before, after he told him Hispanics weren’t welcomed, so given his history, if those charges aren’t pursued, then there’s something missing and the federal government should come in and pursue federal hate crime charges," Castro said. 

As of publication, a hate crime charge has not been added. Aaron’s family has a pending court date for a protective order for his neighbors on June 24.