By Indira Zaldivar & Edward Saenz
Houston activists called attention to Pablo Velez Jr., a Houston man incarcerated for more than 18 years who they claim is innocent and wrongfully convicted referencing a lack of evidence such as video footage, DNA, or a found murder weapon, calling for his immediate release.
On Velez’s birthday, his girlfriend Lisa Brat Martinez, joined by activists from the Houston chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, raised awareness on Velez’ case and on what they called systemic issues within the legal system targeting their Latino community on Friday outside of the Mickey Leland Federal Building in downtown Houston.
“I’ve been fighting for him for the past four years, but he’s been there almost 19 years in prison for something that he had no affiliation with whatsoever,” Martinez said.
In 2006, Velez was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a crime that happened 20 years ago on July 15, 2004 outside of a sports bar located at 2033 Mangum Road in Houston, Texas. A fight ended in a fatal shooting killing 17-year-old Emerson Bojorquez and wounding Adrian Payan.
An eyewitness picked Velez out of a face-only, photo line-up, and the two unidentified shooters were seen driving away in the 1998 Gold Cadillac Deville Sedan that was registered in Velez’s name, that he said he sold to a neighbor in the Heights area. However, the eyewitness in 2017 during the court trial said that Velez was not the shooter.
Velez, who was a truck driver, told Univision 45 he happened to be in Houston the morning of the crime because his truck broke down.
“We have the clear cut facts, evidence, and witnesses recanted their testimony,” Martinez said.
I don’t know what else it takes besides evidence, the facts, and falsified testimony from the detectives.”
Martinez said that four years ago she presented the evidence before Harris County District Attorney Kim Ago, but Velez’s has not been set free or granted parole.
Ed Rodriguez, director of LULAC District 18 denounced the lack of accountability from the system.
“This is an injustice,” Rodriguez said. “Not only is it an injustice, it’s showing us that the system still fails our community.”
