Shooting victims seek justice
August 14th began much like any other summer day for Edith Gómez Medina, 29, and her husband, Valdemar Ochoa Martinez, 34, but just after midnight the couple’s lives, along with that of Valdemar’s brother Jaime, 36, would shatter in a senseless and violent shooting rampage.
The trouble began earlier on that fateful Friday, when the Martinez brothers were accosted by neighbors, identified by Gómez Medina as Eugenio Perez and his son, Giovanny Juan Mazedo, over what should have been a trivial matter: Perez didn’t like where Valdemar’s vehicle was parked. Perez and Mazedo reportedly physically assaulted Valdemar and Jaime, but left when another neighbor threatened to call the police.
Hours later, Gómez Medina was about to head to the store to pick up milk for their baby when she heard fighting outside in the driveway. Perez and Mazedo had returned to continue the fight, only this time they were armed. The father and son opened fire, striking both brothers as well as Gomez Medina, who was shot in the left shoulder, the bullet collapsing her lung and exiting through her chest.
Valdemar had been shot four times in the leg and Jaime had been shot multiple times in both arms. Perez was heard yelling at his son to kill Valdemar and Jaime, who were both severely injured on the ground, but mercifully Mazedo had run out of bullets.
“He was pointing the gun at my brotherin-law’s head and was shooting several times,” Gómez Medina recalled.
Other family members, including children, were in the house during the terrifying ordeal, keeping low and trying to get as far to the back as they could.
After a period of time that might have been five minutes but seemed to Gómez Medina like forever, police finally arrived but the shooters had already fled.
What followed were days of painful recovery in the hospital, and things were touch and go for Gomez Medina.
“My blood pressure was severely low, and they were hardly able to feel my pulse because I had lost a lot of blood,” she explained. “I couldn’t breathe because my lungs were filled with blood.”
Fortunately, the bullets missed a major artery in Valdemar’s leg, and he and his brother were the first to be released from the hospital.
Gomez Medina’s lung was able to be reinflated and she feels blessed to be alive, although she is still suffering great physical pain as well as severe trauma from the event. Nightmares awaken her during the night, the bloody scene replaying over and over but with frightening variations.
“Sometimes I dream that my two-year-old baby got shot in the stomach, and then I wake up in pain and can’t get back to sleep,” she told La Semana.
What makes all of this tragedy even worse, and keeps the family from moving on, is that the men who tried to kill them are still at large. Gómez Medina complained that it was the Monday after the Friday night shooting before the investigating officer took her statement, and said that despite multiple tips being provided to the police about the shooters’ whereabouts, the two have yet to be taken into custody.
La Semana spoke with the TPD detective in charge of the case, who said on September 1st that warrants have been issued and officers were pursuing a tip that afternoon, but the victims aren’t holding out much hope. The family continues to live in fear, both literal fear for their lives as well as the fear that they may never see justice for this horrible crime.
As they struggle daily to recover physically and mentally, there is also now the specter of massive medical bills, and neither husband nor wife will be able to return to work for some time.
A Gofundme page has been set up for the family, which can be found by visiting GoFundme.com and searching for “Apoyo para la familia Gomez.” So far just under $2,100 of a $30,000 goal has been raised.
“Keep us in your prayers,” Gómez Medina asks, while the young woman who has dedicated her life to her family and her community hopes and prays for the day she hears the police tell her, “We caught the guys.” (La Semana)