Saul Martinez Elementary school in Mecca, California, part of the Coachella Valley School District (CVSD), celebrated their school’s birthday by honoring its namesake, late highway patrol officer Saul Martinez.
"Today, we gathered at #SaulMartinezElementary in #Mecca to honor the memory of a true hero, a highway patrol officer who dedicated his life to serving our community with love and dedication. It was an emotional and heartfelt event as we welcomed Officer Martinez's widow, son, grandson, and other family members and friends. The presence of Saul Martinez's grandson, now a student at the school named after his grandfather, added a profound sense of continuity and honor to the occasion. Let's continue to come together to uplift and inspire, just as Officer Saul Martinez did throughout his life of service.", said Coachella Valley Unified Schools.
According to the California Highway Patrol website, Martinez was on a night shift with partner James Rice in May of 1997. While conducting an investigation on a car parked on the shoulder of a road, an oncoming car ran off the roadway and came straight at the officers. Martinez pushed Rice out of the way but was struck by the car. Over a week later, Martinez died at 39 years old.
Martinez was a seven-year veteran of the Patrol and had received the "Latino Peace Officer of the Year" award. He was posthumously presented with the "Medal of Valor" by the governor and CVSD chose to name their new elementary school in his honor according to the California Highway Patrol website.
Saul Martinez Elementary school is located on Johnson street in Mecca, California. Their current principal is Elisa Gentry. They currently have 993 students enrolled in the school with 758 of them being English Learner (EL) students according to their website.