Congresswoman Torres Commemorates Memorial Day, Demands Justice for Enrique Roman-Martinez
Pomona, CA – Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today joined Inland Empire families in commemorating Memorial Day and marking the anniversary of the unsolved murder of Army Specialist Enrique Roman-Martinez, a Chino native. Three years ago, Spc. Roman-Martinez was murdered while camping with seven other servicemembers in North Carolina's Outer Banks. A week later, his partial remains were found washed ashore, and his death remains a cold case.
"This Memorial Day, I'm proud to join our community in remembering the heroes who laid down their lives serving our country," said Congresswoman Torres. "As the mother of an Air Force veteran, I am forever grateful for our brave men and women in uniform and their unwavering commitment to our nation. Today, I join my fellow Americans in honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice, but as we honor those who lost their lives in service to our nation, the Inland Empire mourns the tragic loss of one of our own."
"Specialist Enrique Roman-Martinez was brutally murdered, and it remains unacceptable that his mother, Maria, and his sister, Griselda, are still in search of justice. Following the murder of my constituent, I have fought to reshape how the Army handles cold cases like Spc. Roman-Martinez's and passed the Enrique Roman-Martinez Military Cold Case Justice Act in his memory," continued Congresswoman Torres. "While nothing can change what happened to Roman-Martinez, the new Army Cold Case Unit is making every effort to deliver justice for these victims and ensure no family has to live through a tragedy like this again. I will continue to demand answers for the handling of Roman-Martinez's case, and in Congress, I will do all I can to deliver resources for these efforts. In the meantime, I encourage anyone with information about the case to come forward."
In 2022, the Congresswoman introduced and passed the Enrique Roman-Martinez Military Cold Case Justice Act to reform how the military handles cold cases and deliver justice for military families. Additionally, Congresswoman Torres continues to use her seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee to secure funding and resources for Military Criminal Investigative Organizations (MCIOs).
Anyone with information on the Roman-Martinez case can contact the Army Criminal Investigations Division at 910-396-8777.