Mesquite, Texas – A man accused of killing a DoorDash delivery driver in North Carolina was arrested during a routine traffic stop in North Texas. This connects a small traffic violation to a murder investigation more than 1,000 miles away.
The Mesquite Police Department said that the arrest happened Tuesday night when officers saw a car violating traffic laws on U.S. Highway 80 near Galloway Avenue. The driver, who was later identified as 30-year-old Kelvin Javier Molina Garcia, attracted significant attention since the car had already been linked to a murder investigation in Charlotte, North Carolina.
After seeing two different moving offenses, the officers stopped the car. During the conversation, investigators found that Molina Garcia did not have a valid driver’s license and did not properly identify himself. He was arrested on those charges and sent to the Mesquite City Jail.
While Molina Garcia was in jail, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department told the Mesquite Police Department that they had issued a murder warrant for him. Authorities in North Carolina said that Molina Garcia was engaged in a shooting incident that killed someone on January 25 in Charlotte.
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WCNC identified the victim as 26-year-old John Glenn Martinez. According to investigators, Martinez was delivering food for DoorDash when the shooting took place. The police have stated that the investigation is ongoing, and they have not published all the details about the fatal shooting.
After the warrant was confirmed, Molina Garcia was officially booked into the Mesquite City Jail on Tuesday night. Plans were then made for his return to North Carolina. As of Thursday evening, his name no longer appeared on the Mesquite jail roster, suggesting custody arrangements were underway.
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DoorDash released a statement on Wednesday in which they recognized the arrest and conveyed their condolences to the victim’s family. The business said it is working with the police as the investigation continues on and called the event a tragedy.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say that Molina Garcia will be sent back to Charlotte in the next several weeks to face charges linked to murder. Officials could not give a particular date for the transfer, but they did say that authorities continue to work together.
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Authorities pointed out that the case shows how regular police effort may help solve severe crimes. What started out as a normal traffic stop ended up linking Mesquite police officers with investigators in North Carolina, who were able to find and arrest a suspect in a deadly shooting.
Police in Charlotte continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Martinez’s death and have indicated that additional information may be released as the case progresses.
