BOSTON (WHDH) - The mother of a United States Marine Corps veteran who was fatally stabbed outside of a bar near Boston’s Faneuil Hall over the weekend says she never thought her son would be killed on American soil, especially after he safely and successfully completed four years of military service in the Middle East.
“He was a free spirit. He was so selfless and so caring, always putting the needs of others ahead of his own,” Apolonia Martinez said of her son, 23-year-old Daniel Martinez. “He was always happy, always full of life.”
Daniel was stabbed to death by a bouncer at the Sons of Boston on Saturday night following a bar fight, authorities said.
Apolonia says her son was in the city visiting a fellow Marine for Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations when his life was unexpectedly cut short.
“We always think, well, our country’s so safe. He’s just going to Boston. Its not like he’s going to Afghanistan. He’s past that,” Apolonia explained. “He had a lot of plans so he wasn’t going to stay out there long. Unfortunately, he met up with a terrible fate.”
Daniel and his friend were at Sons of Boston when police say a verbal fight with the bar’s bouncer, 38-year-old Alvaro Larrama, turned physical and spilled into the street. Larrama was arraigned Monday in Boston Municipal Court on a charge of murder in Daniel’s death.
Despite the violent incident, Mayor Michelle Wu stressed that the city is safe.
“We are in close contact with those restaurants or venues that might ever need it and we’re also preparing for larger events in public. The Marathon is coming up.”
Boston police say they plan to increase patrols in the area starting this weekend.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)