Loved ones remember Livingston teen killed by driver, who was never found

A year has passed since 16-year-old Raymond Martinez was killed in a hit-and-run and his loved ones are still seeking justice.

No one has been arrested, and authorities still are looking for the community’s help in locating the suspect vehicle and identifying its driver, according to Officer Eric Zuniga of the California Highway Patrol.

Raymond, a Livingston High football player, was on a bike ride on Easter Sunday last year with his older brother on Walnut Avenue just west of Sultana Drive when he was struck from behind by a vehicle that sped away. He died a short time later.

“We will never know why God took Raymond,” Hilario Ramirez, his father, said. “It’s one of the worst things you will feel. You just got to go on. Raymond would want us to.”

Mourners gathered on the one-year anniversary of his death on Monday to light candles, play religious music, cry and laugh. Raymond’s father remembered the time the family visited a water park when the boy was 6.

“We spent the whole time chasing him around the pool,” he said. “The deep end of the pool. We’d get him. (He’d go back to) the deep end of the pool.”

Raymond was close with his teammates on the junior varsity team at Livingston High, family said. He wore jersey No. 59 as a sophomore.

His family has said he hoped to earn athletic and academic scholarships to attend Fresno State. He wanted to be an FBI agent.

Zuniga said the CHP followed up on a handful of leads but no arrests have been made. He urged anyone without information on the driver to report it to CHP.

“Even if it’s word-of-mouth,” he said. “The case, of course, is still open.”

Hilario Martinez said he’s appreciative of those who have been kind to the Martinez family and thought highly of Raymond.

“I’ll miss him forever,” the father said as his voiced cracked with emotion. “We’ve met a lot of beautiful people and thank them for all their love.”

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Loved ones remember Livingston teen killed by driver, who was never found."