Every morning, Luis Martin Alicea would go to his parents’ house for coffee. He loved how his mother Elsa made it, his cousin Jessie Alejandro-Cruz said.
Now, Elsa has continued this tradition, but in a different way.
Martin, a talented baseball player, music producer and father of five, had just gotten a haircut on the afternoon of Nov. 18, 2016 when he was shot and killed outside the barber shop at North 6th Street and Rising Sun Avenue. He was three days from turning 30.
Martin’s parents during a Justice for Martin march. More than 300 people attended.
Since his death, Elsa has made a daily trip to Greenmount Cemetery to visit her son’s grave, a thermos of coffee in hand.
“She feels a need to go there every day to pray for him and pray for justice,” Jessie said. “One day we will have justice.”
Martin was born Nov. 21, 1986 to Elsa and Victor Alicea in Philadelphia. He had two older brothers, Victor and Jose, and a younger sister, Elsa. He was especially close to his sister.
Jessie said Martin had a “contagious smile” that lifted up those around him.
“Martin was always the center of attention,” she said. “He brought the joy. He was the life of the family. Now that his life has been taken away, his family’s life has been taken away as well. They have no peace.”
Growing up, Martin excelled at baseball and played for the Frankford High School team. Music was another one of his passions, and he had his own production company.
But family was his focus. Both of his parents have a large number of siblings — his mother has more than 20 brothers and sisters — and maintaining strong family bonds was part of Martin’s DNA.
“The importance of family was integrated in Martin,” she said. “He understood what it meant to be there with his family.”
When he was alive, Martin had four kids, now ages 13, 8, 6, 3. His wife was pregnant when he was killed, and the baby he never met is now 1 year old.
No arrests have been made in connection with Martin’s homicide, but his family has hope that one day someone will be held accountable.
“We need to know. Maybe we’re never going to find out. But that’s what’s keeping my aunt alive, that’s what’s keeping her going, to fight and believe that someday, somebody is going to say something.”
A reward of up to $20,000 is available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible. Anyone with information can make an anonymous tip to the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
“Martin should be remembered as the happy, joyful, loving, caring person that he was,” Jessie said. “A lot of people cared about him.”
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