Family of slain Inglewood father to offer reward
Apr 9, 2012, 4:19 AM
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) – The family of a Southern California man who was killed while protecting his 8-year-old son from gunfire is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the shooters.
Relatives of Fredrick Martin Jr. are planning to announce the reward on Monday.
Martin, 28, his son and a friend were cleaning his grandmother’s garage in Inglewood last Tuesday when they heard gunfire nearby. Martin pushed the boy to the ground and shielded him from bullets.
He was struck in the torso and abdomen and died in surgery later that night. His son, Fredrick “Tre” Martin III suffered a minor graze wound.
Family members said Martin was a devoted father who was expecting his second child later this year.
“He did what a father is supposed to do,” Martin’s half-sister, Micharri Pratts, told the Los Angeles Times. “He made sure his son was always surrounded by love and support.”
Police were still searching for two suspects believed to be involved in the shooting, but have released few details of the investigation.
Friends and family said Martin, a college graduate who worked as an analyst at a Kaiser Permanente facility in Pasadena, had never been involved in gangs. They said he stayed away from gangs by not wearing certain colors and avoiding certain streets.
Acting Police Chief Mark Fronterotta said he hopes the public can help solve what he called a “senseless crime.”
“Our understanding is that this was a fine young man,” Fronterotta said.
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