Kyle resident convicted of murder for 2014 shooting

A Kyle resident was convicted of murder in connection with a 2014 shooting.

Andrew Martinez, 24, was found guilty of murder during a trial that began on Dec. 2 and took place in the 22nd Judicial District Court.

According to evidence at the trial, Martinez, who dealt marijuana, was a passenger in a car that was conducting drug deals in Kyle on Sept. 24, 2014. In the evening, the car stopped in the Waterleaf neighborhood in Kyle for the driver to finalize a drug deal with another dealer. An argument broke out between Martinez and Jacob Lambert, 19, after Lambert approached the car while a transaction was occurring.

Martinez later shot Lambert from the passenger window. Lambert was pronounced dead by emergency personnel when they arrived.

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office later apprehended Martinez and other occupants of the car. According to trial evidence, Martinez threw the weapon — a stolen .40 caliber handgun — out the window of the vehicle on Highway 21, which police officers later recovered.

Martinez claimed he shot Lambert in self-defense, however, no evidence was found of Lambert possession a weapon. Five witnesses — three other occupants of the car, Lambert’s friend who accompanied him to the vehicle where Martinez was located and neighbor located nearby — refuted Martinez’s claims and established that Lambert was unarmed and there was no justification for Martinez shooting him.

The jury found Martinez guilty and he was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Judge Bruce Boyer presided over the trial.

“The jury’s verdict and swift sentence of Mr. Martinez make it clear that our community believes even young violent offenders must be held accountable,” Hays County District Attorney Wes Mau said.