On a cold January evening in Hempstead, New York, 49-year-old Santos Valeriano Argueta, a man who had moved to the village from El Salvador in 2004, was eating dinner at Antojitos Express. His life took a tragic and heroic turn when a man entered the restaurant in an attempt to rob a nearby deli. When the assailant began to pistol-whip another patron, Argueta intervened in an effort to stop the attack.
The suspect, identified as Deshawn Martin, then pulled Argueta outside the restaurant
near the intersection of Peninsula Boulevard and Sewell Street. In the ensuing struggle, Martin shot Argueta three times. Despite the heroic efforts of a man trying to protect others, Santos Valeriano Argueta was pronounced dead at a local hospital from multiple gunshot wounds.
In the days following the shooting, police arrested 25-year-old Deshawn Martin of Hempstead in Freeport. He was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Argueta's death. The investigation revealed that after shooting Argueta, Martin went through his pockets and stole his cell phone before fleeing the scene. Martin was also implicated in a string of other robberies in the area.
Deshawn Martin was later convicted of murder in the first degree and a host of other charges related to the robbery and other crimes. In July 2025, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Santos Valeriano Argueta, a father of three, was remembered by his family as a hero. His body was sent back to his native El Salvador for his funeral and burial.
