After car stolen at scene of Santa Fe shooting, family still struggling

Jun. 12—After handing over her keys at gunpoint to a man demanding a getaway car, Barbara Martinez-McCoy watched what felt like her life disappear along with the Buick.

She and her adult son had been loading all of their belongings into the car and preparing to check out of the GreenTree Inn on May 29 when, police say, 27-year-old Anthony Ortiz shot motel guest Marty Little, 59, in the parking lot. Little died days later from a gunshot wound to the head.

Ortiz faces a count of murder and a string of other felony charges. He told Santa Fe police he and Little had gotten into a scuffle nearby because Little had used his phone to record Ortiz firing shots at other men to scare them away. When Little threw a knife at him, Ortiz told police, he "got scared" and shot the man.

Little's son could not be reached for comment on his death, and his daughter-and-law did not respond to messages requesting more information about the man, who had lived in many states across the country throughout the years, public records show.

Martinez-McCoy's 2001 Buick sedan was recovered in Albuquerque and returned to her Tuesday, Santa Fe police Capt. Aaron Ortiz said.

But, Martinez-McCoy said in an interview this week, it was in poor condition, and much of her and her son's money and important belongings were gone: $2,000 she had planned to use for a housing rental deposit, birth certificates, Social Security cards, her license and vehicle registration, and even the key to the Buick. A replacement from a locksmith cost her $150.

The family already has faced a potential case of identity theft since the car was stolen.

Martinez-McCoy's 29-year-old son has a traumatic brain injury from a car crash three years ago.

She recalled the gunman entering her motel room, holding her son at gunpoint. She had no choice but to give him the keys, she said.

"Just watching my son like that, being led up the stairs with a gun to the back of his head, I just reacted," she said.

Martinez-McCoy tried running after the shooter as he fled in her car — her fight-or-flight instincts kicking in, she said.

"He just took everything we had away from us in a matter of seconds," she said. "Trying to regain everything again has been really, really hard."

Martinez-McCoy works as a house cleaner when she is not caring for her eldest son, who has seizures and other health issues due to the brain injury. He underwent surgery Tuesday to remove teeth that were broken in the collision, she said.

They moved from Albuquerque to Santa Fe following the crash to be closer to family and get more support for her son, she added. She believed they would be safer here.

Another son helps care for his brother when Martinez-McCoy goes to work, she said. She has two other children in their early 20s who don't live close enough to provide help.

Martinez-McCoy previously worked about 24 years in the medical field in various aide positions but had to stop after a knee injury.

The violent incident at the GreenTree Inn has been an enormous setback for her and her son, she said.

When police released her Buick, it was riddled with hypodermic needles and cigarette burns, she said. The seats were cut open, her windshield was cracked and she found two gas cans in the back seat. She suspects someone had planned to ignite the vehicle but didn't get a chance.

"There's needles all over the place, trash thrown everywhere, and it's torn up," she said. "My car is just in shambles.

"Of course, it's only the important things that are missing and are irreplaceable," she added.

Officers searched the vehicle for DNA evidence and fingerprints, and they seized some of the drug paraphernalia left behind.

Capt. Ortiz said investigators are still attempting to determine whether the paraphernalia was left by Ortiz or someone else who had access to the vehicle in Albuquerque.

Martinez-McCoy has not lost hope.

Having her car back will allow her to work again. She and her son are continuing to live in hotel rooms in Santa Fe and trying to save as much money as possible. The New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness also has been trying to help them find a place to live.

People from the community have reached out to help, and Martinez-McCoy has started a GoFundMe campaign to try to raise some of the money she lost in the theft. The campaign, at tinyurl.com/m47ss9mv, had raised $200 of its $5,000 goal by Friday night.

The experience has been humbling, Martinez-McCoy said.

"People have tried to help with food and little things that they can help with, and I'm grateful for that and very grateful for whatever family can help," she said.

In the meantime, she is stuck with the unease left by the incidents of May 29. Sounds coming from hotel hallways make her jump, she said. She worries about what might happen when she steps out of a room.

She said she pities Anthony Ortiz but believes the damage of his alleged crimes is unjustifiable.

"He just threw his life away, and took ours with it," she said.