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(Photo: Courtesy El Paso Police Department)
An El Paso firefighter involved in the beating of a man at a bar last year was sentenced to two years of probation.
Raul Ruiz Jr., who was 37 at the time of the incident, received a suspended one-year jail sentence and two years of probation July 20 in the 2016 death of 49-year-old Arturo Martinez, according to court documents. He also was fined $1,000.
Ruiz originally was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of criminal negligent homicide, but as part of a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of assault causing serious bodily injury, documents show.
He was scheduled to go on trial in August or September, according to court records.
The sentence was handed down by 409th District Court Judge Sam Medrano Jr.
Ruiz and Adrian Chavez were arrested Feb. 5, 2016, in connection with the beating.
El Paso Fire Department officials declined to immediately comment on Ruiz’s current employment status, citing employee confidentiality issues.
El Paso Police Department officials said at the time of his arrest that Ruiz was an El Paso firefighter assigned to Fire Station 18, 7901 San Jose Road, in the Lower Valley.
In February 2016, fire officials said that Ruiz had been with the department for 10 years and was working as a fire suppression technician.
Ruiz was off-duty at the time of the beating, police said.
Adrian Chavez (Photo: Courtesy El Paso Police Department)
Chavez, Ruiz and another unnamed man allegedly surrounded Martinez on Jan. 22, 2016, inside the El Patron Sports Bar, 5622 E. Paisano Drive, in Central El Paso, police said at the time of the arrests.
Court documents do not state the name of the third man involved in the incident.
According to a complaint affidavit, Ruiz grabbed Martinez “aggressively and pushed him violently.” Martinez then hit the backdoor of the bar, causing it to open, and he fell onto the pavement outside.
The fall caused Martinez to hit the back of his head on the pavement, the affidavit says. He then lost consciousness.
While Martinez was on the ground, Chavez allegedly got on top of him and “continued the assault," the affidavit states.
Martinez sustained life-threatening injuries in the attack and was taken to University Medical Center of El Paso in critical condition, officials said. He died six days later due to the injuries he sustained in the beating.
Chavez also was indicted by a grand jury on one count of criminal negligent homicide. His case is pending in district court. He is expected to go on trial in September.
Aaron Martinez may be reached at 546-6249; aamartinez@elpasotimes.com; @AMartinez31 on Twitter.
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